y 


LOVE'S    LEGEND 


LOVE'S   LEGEND 

BY 

H.    FIELDING-HALL 

AUTHOR    OF 
'THE    SOUL    OF    A    PEOPLE,'    ETC. 


Legend  is  truth  incarnated  in  story 


NEW    YORK 
HENRY   HOLT   AND   COMPANY 

1914 


PK 


PREFACE 

TO  THE  READER 

THE  pleasure-seeker  on  a  summer  sea  notes 
but  the  surface,  the  curve  and  toss  of  wavelets 
that  pass  by,  the  colour  and  the  light,  the 
sparkle  of  the  sun  upon  the  foam  ;  it  is  enough 
for  him,  it  gives  him  pleasure,  which  is  all  he 
seeks  and  needs.  But  here  and  there  is  one 
who  seeks  for  more  than  this.  He  rises  above 
ihefrivo/e  of  the  individual  spray,  and,  looking 
down,  he  sees  things  that  the  surface  traveller 
dreams  not  of.  Beneath  the  ripple  and  the 
fret  he  notes  signs  of  the  ocean  currents,  those 
that  keep  the  seas  alive  and  fresh,  that  pass 
from  pole  to  pole  for  ever  round  the  world. 
He  sees  dim  shadows  of  great  things  hid  in 
the  deep  abyss,  things  that  can  never  be 
defined,  because  it  is  of  their  essence  that  they 


vi  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

lie    beneath    all    definitions  ;    he    has    faint 
glimpses  of  the  hidden  bases  of  the  world. 

I  know  not  which  seeker  of  the  two  you  be. 
Whichever  you  may  be,  you  are  in  your  right 
to  take  that  only  which  you  want,  and  to  you 
God-speed  ! 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

PREFACE        ........         v 

CHAPTER       I 3 

„  II  .  19 

»      in 35 

„         IV  ...                ...      49 

V 65 

„         VI .81 

„        VII .95 

„      VIII 109 

IX 125 

X  .                .                 .        .     137 

„         XI  .     155 

„        XII 169 

„      XIII  ....                          .183 

XIV  ...     199 


viii  LOVE'S 

PACK 

CHAPTER  XV  ...  .        .     213 

„  XVI 229 

„  XVII  ...                                  .245 

„  XVIII 261 

„  XIX  .    277 

„  XX  .        .                        .                .    293 

„  XXI  ..                                           .     303 

„  XXII  .        .                                         .309 

„  XXIII 321 


CHAPTER  I 


'  The  same  stream  of  life  that  runs  through  my  veins 
night  and  day  runs  through  the  world  and  dances  in 
rhythmic  measures. 

*  It  is  the  same    life  that    shoots   in   joy  through   the 
dust  of  the  earth  in  numberless  blades  of  grass  and  breaks 
into  tumultuous  waves  of  leaves  and  flowers. 

*  It  is  the  same  life  that  is  rocked  in  the  ocean  cradle 
of  birth  and  death  in  ebb  and  in  flow. 

'  I  feel  my  limbs  arc  made  glorious  by  the  touch  of 
this  world  of  life.  And  my  pride  is  from  the  life-throb 
of  ages  dancing  in  my  blood  at  this  moment.' 

RABINDRANATH  TAGORE. 


I 


:T  was  still  quite  dark  as  we 
rode  up  the  winding  jungle 
path  that  ended  at  the  cliff. 
There  was  not  room  for  us 
side  by  side,  therefore  I  rode 
in  front  and  Lesbia  followed. 
We  went  in  silence,  partly  because  divided 
thus  it  was  difficult  to  talk,  partly  because 
Lesbia  was  in  a  rage.  It  was  not  a  heated 
temper  that  possessed  her,  but  a  frozen 
indignation  that  radiated  silence  as  an  iceberg 
does  a  chill,  that  pushed  me  from  her  as  the 
negative  pole  of  a  battery  would  do.  The 
ponies  scrambled  bravely  up,  and  at  last  we 
reached  the  summit. 

'  Here  we  dismount,'  I  said. 
Lesbia  did  not  answer.  She  let  me  help 
her  from  the  saddle  and  stood  in  dignified 
aloofness  while  I  fastened  the  ponies'  bridles 
to  a  tree.  Then  I  stepped  into  the  jungle. 
4  Come  ! '  I  said.  The  bushes  and  creepers 
were  thick  and  I  had  to  push  them  aside  and 
break  them  to  make  a  way.  I  could  see 
nothing,  of  course,  except  the  bushes  in  front 
and  all  round  me,  but  I  knew  that  Lesbia  was 


4  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

following — I  heard  her  footsteps,  the  rustle  of 
her  skirts,  and  an  occasional  smothered  excla- 
mation when  a  too  elastic  branch  sprang  back 
and  struck  her. 

At  last  I  forced  my  way  out  on  to  the  flat 
rock,  and  Lesbia  joined  me. 

'  Look  ! '  I  said.  '  But  you  had  better  hold 
my  arm  or  you  may  be  giddy.' 

She  put  her  hand  upon  my  arm  as  she 
might  upon  an  indifferent  railing,  and  looked. 

In  front  of  us  was  a  great  vacancy,  the 
wide,  deep  valley  of  the  river,  and  within  this 
valley  night  still  lingered,  not  as  a  darkness 
but  as  a  clear  blue  gloom  through  which  the 
farther  slopes  were  faintly  visible. 

Faint  wreaths  of  mist  were  drawn  along 
the  water  meadows,  and  the  air  was  still. 

4  And  now  let  us  look  over.  I  will  hold 
this  tree  with  one  hand  and  hold  you  with 
the  other.  Look  right  down  ! ' 

Her  clasp  upon  me  tightened,  and  we  went 
together  to  the  edge.  Then  we  looked  down. 

At  first  it  seemed  almost  infinity  that  we 
gazed  into,  so  broad,  so  deep  the  valley  lay 
beneath.  Then  far  below  we  could  distinguish 
things,  forest-clad  banks  and  rocks,  and  a 
great  river,  smooth  and  grey  as  steel,  that  bent 
about  the  bluff  on  which  we  stood  and  dis- 
appeared. No  sound  came  from  the  abyss. 
The  great  strong  river  moved  quite  silently  ; 
the  birds  were  not  awake  yet,  and  the  forest 
life  was  still. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  5 

4  Oh  !  '  said  Lesbia,  with  a  sigh,  c  draw  me 
back.'  I  drew  her  landward. 

'  Now  look  up  !  '  I  said. 

Beyond  the  valley  was  a  mountain  range 
that  stretched  into  infinity,  and  behind  its 
peaks  the  dawn  was  come.  There  was  a 
radiance  glowing  there,  and  all  along  the 
crests  a  line  of  fire.  First  it  was  pink,  then 
crimson  ;  then  it  turned  to  gold,  to  molten 
gold  that  glowed  and  trembled  as  it  grew. 
It  seemed  as  if  beyond  those  hills  there  was  a 
fountain  of  pure  light  that  leapt  within  its 
chalice.  It  welled  from  the  hidden  sources 
rising  above  the  brim,  and  then  at  length, 
suddenly,  like  a  great  flood,  it  overflowed.  As 
we  watched,  the  sun  rose  up,  and  like  the 
wine  of  life  his  light  poured  into  the  great 
valley.  Then  it  was  filled.  The  blue  gloom 
of  the  night  was  gone,  the  forest  green  was 
almost  luminous,  the  river  gleamed  like  gold. 

All  the  world  laughed  with  joy  and  glad- 
ness that  the  day  was  come  again.  Down  in 
the  river  fishes  leapt,  and  in  the  copses  birds 
burst  into  song.  I  felt  Lesbia  tremble  in  my 
grasp,  and  drew  her  closer.  Her  pulses 
quickened,  and  I  saw  upon  her  cheeks  a  flush 
caught  from  the  dawn. 

'  Well,'  I  asked,  with  a  laugh,  '  and  am  I 
justified  ? ' 

She  turned  on  me  reproachfully  eyes  like 
the  stars.  A  strand  of  hair  tinted  with  sun- 
light glory  brushed  my  face. 


6  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

4  You  should  have  told  me,'  she  com- 
plained. 

'I  did.' 

'  You  only  said  it  was  worth  seeing.  How 
should  I  know  it  was  like  this  ? ' 

'  How  could  I  tell  you  that  it  was  like  this  ? 
Are  there  words  for  that  ? '  I  waved  my 
hand  towards  the  sunrise. 

For  it  was  not  alone  the  colours  spread  upon 
the  hills  and  sky,  not  only  the  living  light 
that  throbbed  and  palpitated  when  dawn  was 
come;  it  was  that  in  all  this  splendour  there 
was  hidden  an  emotion  and  a  purpose.  It 
seemed  as  if  in  all  this  life  there  lay  an  exulta- 
tion as  of  a  thought  accomplished,  a  victory 
won,  a  dream  made  real.  Some  one  had 
thought  out  all  this  beauty  and  had  bent  all 
nature  to  His  purpose.  Within  this  radiance 
laughed  the  soul  of  all  the  world.  Dead 
nature  ?  Had  nature  not  a  soul  it  had  been 
dead,  its  energies  all  dissipated  long  ago. 
Indeed  it  had  never  lived. 

People  who  have  lived  much  with  nature 
always  see  this  and  feel  it.  All  early  peoples 
saw  it  and  expressed  it  in  a  hundred  ways. 
When  you  are  face  to  face  with  nature  with- 
out any  sign  of  man  you  cannot  help  but  see 
it — that  in  man  alone  is  not  all  the  intelligence 
or  emotion  of  the  world.  And  once  you  have 
seen  it  you  can  always  see  it  anywhere.  But 
people  born  in  old  countries  seem  to  have  lost 
the  sense  of  nature.  They  cannot  see  beneath 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  7 

the  trivialities  of  man's  work  which  overlies 
it.  In  old  temples,  palaces,  and  castles  they 
will  see  and  feel  the  design  and  the  desire  of 
those  that  made  them,  but  mountains  and 
trees  and  rivers  are  to  them  dead  things.  The 
sense  of  God  is  gone.  He  is  to  them  far,  far 
away,  in  some  dream-heaven  and  not  on 
earth.  Churches  have  banished  Him,  and 
put  themselves  in  His  place.  And  they  are 
afraid  of  Him — afraid  !  Therefore  it  was 
that  I  made  Lesbia  come  here. 

6  Now  do  you  understand  ? '  I  asked. 

'Yes,'  she  said  at  last,  '  it  makes  one  under- 
stand.' 

'  So  that  I  would  not  have  you  miss  it,'  I 
replied.  '  Yet,'  and  I  laughed,  '  you  gave  me 
a  great  deal  of  trouble.  You  argued.  You 
said  you  had  often  seen  a  sunrise  before. 
Have  you  ? ' 

'No,' she  admitted,  'many  dawns,  perhaps, 
never  a  sunrise.' 

'You  didn't  want  to  get  up  so  early.' 

'  It  was  so  dark  and  cold  !  ' 

'  What  trouble  I  had  ! '  I  repeated,  and 
placed  my  hand  upon  her  shoulder.  '  I 
argued — it  was  no  use.  I  begged — no  use. 
At  last  I  threatened  !  ' 

'  How  dared  you  ? '  she  said  indignantly. 
'  You  said  you  would  come  and  pull  me  out 
of  bed.  How  dared  you  ?  We  are  not 
married  yet,  monsieur.' 

'  No,'    I    answered,    unabashed,    '  had    we 


8  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

been  married  I  would  not  have  threatened  at 
all.  I  would  have  acted  !  * 

She  turned  and  regarded  me  severely  in  the 
face. 

'  Do  you  know  what  I  was  thinking  all  the 
way  as  we  rode  up  ? ' 

4  Certainly/  I  answered. 

'  Oh  ! '  she  replied,  as  one  suddenly  disarmed 
of  a  secret  weapon.  '  What  was  it  ? ' 

'  You  were  thinking  whether  you  had  not 
made  a  mistake,  whether  you  had  not  better 
break  it  off.  It  seemed  a  pity  after  you  had 
taken  the  trouble  and  expense  to  come  all  this 
long  way  to  marry  me,  but  better  a  mistake 
before  than  after.* 

c  How  still  more  horrid  of  you  to  have 
guessed  ! '  she  said.  '  How  did  you  do  it  ? ' 

'  Well,'  I  replied,  '  you  have  a  tell-tale  face 
and  eyes.  But  it  wasn't  they  that  told  me, 
because  it  was  too  dark  to  see.  It  was  the 
atmosphere.' 

'  The  atmosphere  ? ' 

c  Your  atmosphere.  You  radiated  cold  like 
an  iceberg  does.  You  were  as  cheerful  as  a 
stalactite,  as ' 

'  I  won't  be  called  names,'  and  she  stamped 
her  foot.  '  Iceberg  and  stalactite  indeed  !  I 
wonder  what  you  were —  A — a — '  searching 
for  a  word  with  visible  annoyance  that  she 
had  not  one  ready. 

4 1  was  all  that,'  I  admitted,  to  save  her  the 
trouble. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  9 

'You  were  just  determined  and  horrid,'  she 
continued.  '  Monsieur,  I  warn  you,  you  had 
better  be  very  careful  till  this  day  week,  or 
this  day  week  may  never  come.' 

4  Well,'  I  returned,  £  you  must  settle  that 
with  the  almanack.  For  myself,  even  in  an 
official  capacity,  I  never  dared  to  interfere  with 
either  the  almanack  or  the  weather.  There 
are  limits  even  to  the  authority  of  govern- 
ment. Besides  I  am  careful.  I  am  very  care- 
ful. If  I  had  not  brought  you  up  here,  I 
should  never  have  forgiven  myself.' 

'  What  about  my  forgiveness  ? '  she  asked. 

'  True,'  I  said.  c  I  am  glad  you  reminded 
me.  There,'  taking  her  face  in  my  hands  and 
kissing  her  on  both  cheeks,  '  I  forgive  you, 
Lesbia.' 

4  Oh,'  she  said  indignantly,  when  she  had 
recovered,  '  I  didn't  mean  that  at  all.  Tou  for- 
give me,  indeed  !  I  meant,  "  what  about  my 
forgiving  you  ?  "  That 's  the  important  part.' 

'  So  it  is,'  I  admitted.  c  Well,  I  am  quite 
ready,'  holding  my  face  to  hers.  '  Now, 
forgive  me  !  ' 

'  Do  you  want  to  be  forgiven  ? '  she  asked 
demurely. 

c  I  do,'  I  said. 

'  Then  say,  "  Please  forgive  me,  Lesbia." 

'  Please  forgive  me,  Lesbia,  dear,'  I  repeated. 

'  I  won't  ever  do  it  again,'  she  dictated. 

'  I  won't  ever  do  it  again — till  next  time.' 

'  You   don't   say  it  quite   right,'  she  com- 


io  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

plained.  'But  there,'  forgiving  me  on  one 
cheek,  4  and  there,'  forgiving  me  on  the  other, 
'  now  it 's  all  forgiven  and  forgotten.' 

'  That 's  the  amende  honorable  on  both  sides,' 
I  answered.  '  Now  let 's  turn  again  to  watch 
the  sunrise.' 

We  were  at  the  very  head  of  the  thousand- 
mile  valley,  down  which  the  river  flows  into 
the  sea.  Before  us  stretched  a  wilderness  of 
mountains  rising  into  peaks  in  the  far  distance. 
To  the  east  was  China,  to  the  north  the  hills 
that  rise  and  rise  up  to  the  roof  of  the  world. 

It  is  from  this  watershed  of  mighty  rivers 
that  the  male  stream  comes.  No  man  has 
ever  yet  seen  its  birthplace  up  amid  those 
eternal  snows.  Born  of  the  glaciers  on  the 
slopes  of  that  unknown  land,  it  is  a  boisterous 
and  a  headstrong  river,  falling  down  precipices 
with  a  loud  roar  and  laughter,  bursting  through 
mountain  barriers  that  it  cuts  into  deep  gorges, 
buried  sometimes  in  forests  where  no  axe  has 
ever  sounded,  resting  a  while  in  levels,  only  to 
hurry  forward  once  again,  until  at  length, 
its  youth  and  play-time  past,  it  breaks  through 
one  last  deep  defile  and  comes  out  into  the 
great  valley  where  its  course  must  run.  There 
it  joins  another  stream,  a  slower  and  more 
placid  water  born  of  a  lower  level,  flowing  with 
slower,  sweeter  rhythm.  The  junction  was 
just  before  us  as  we  looked.  We  saw  the 
hurrying,  tumbling,  snow-fed  torrent  and  the 
rain-born  stream  join  in  one  channel,  to  march 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  n 

together  to  the  sea.  They  joined,  yet  did  not 
merge.  Side  by  side  they  lay  within  one  bed, 
yet  for  a  time  they  were  distinct.  He  hurried 
still  ;  his  whirls  and  eddies  had  not  ceased. 
Her  measure  had  hardly  quickened  yet  out  of 
her  placidness.  He  pulled ;  she  clung  to  bank 
and  rock,  afraid  of  his  haste. 

'  Why,  look  ! '  said  Lesbia,  pointing  down  at 
the  two  streams  ;  '  it 's  you  and  me.  Look 
how  you  burst  from  out  your  gorge  with 
noise  and  foam  and  haste,  just  like  a  man. 
Look  at  poor  me,  how  quiet  and  happy  while 
I  was  alone,  flowing  between  the  meadows, 
now  disturbed  by  all  your  turbulence.' 

'  Yes,  look  at  you  ;  slow  and  hard  to  move, 
clinging  to  your  bed.' 

4  Look  how  clear  my  waters  are,'  said  Lesbia : 
'  while  look  at  yours,  all  dark  and  muddy.' 

1  But  in  my  sands  are  gold.' 

'  And  in  my  waters,  fish.' 

'  Your  fish  are  but  small.  It  is  not  till  we 
have  joined  that  there  are  big  fish  in  our  waters.' 

I  laughed. 

'  Look  down  the  valley,  the  waters  merge. 
Look  at  that  cape.  Beyond  that  is  the  station 
where  I  live,  the  last  outpost  of  civilisation. 
You  remember  that  there  the  waters  are  quite 
blended,  and  there  the  river's  life  begins  ;  so 
it  remains  until  it  reaches  the  sea,  one  river 
always,  till  the  sea  takes  it.' 

'  And  then  ? '  she  asked,  looking  at  me 
wistfully.  '  And  then  ? ' 


12  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  And  then  ? '  I  answered.  '  All  rivers  flow 
into  the  sea,  yet  is  not  the  sea  filled  ;  to  the 
place  whence  the  rivers  come  they  all  return 
again/ 

She  sighed. 

*  But  it  is  a  long  way  to  the  sea  yet,'  I  said. 
'  The  river  has  its  work  to  do  before  it  ceases 
— and  begins  again.' 

4  Its  work.     Does  the  river  work  ? ' 

'  Naturally.  Has  it  not  lands  to  water  as  it 
goes — islands  and  water  meadows  ?  Must 
not  it  carry  silt  to  fertilise  its  shores  ?  Has  it 
not  wheels  to  turn  ?  Has  it  not  steamers  and 
boats  and  rafts  to  bear  ?  Isn't  that  work  ? ' 

'  Oh  ! '  she  said. 

'  Lesbia,'  said  I,  '  I  know  this  river  from  its 
beginning  here  a  thousand  miles  unto  the  sea. 
I  know  its  every  curve  and  bend  and  cape  and 
island.  I  know  its  villages  and  its  villagers.  I 
have  lived,  here  and  there,  up  and  down  this 
river,  for  many  years.  I  have  seen  its  water 
dyed  with  blood,  lit  up  by  fires,  and  silver  still 
beneath  the  moon.  I  know  it  in  all  its  moods, 
therefore  it  is  a  friend  of  mine.' 

4  A  friend  !  a  river  ? ' 

c  Yes,'  I  said.  '  Again  I  will  not  try  to 
explain,  because  I  could  not.  Will  you  let  us 
take  our  honeymoon  upon  this  river  before  we 
sail  for  home  ?  Then  I  will  introduce  you  to 
my  friend  and  you  will  understand.  You 
won't  regret  it.' 

'  Would  you  like  it  ? ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  13 

'  Yes,'  I  said.  '  But  it  is  for  you  to  choose. 
If  you  don't  want,  I  will  not  press  you.' 

'  I  do  not  care  for  steamers,'  she  replied. 

'  Not  on  a  steamer.  Do  you  think  a  river 
would  let  a  noisy,  fussy,  self-willed  thing  like 
a  steamer  into  its  intimacy  ? ' 

4  How  then  ? ' 

'  That  is  my  secret.' 

'  More  secrets  ? ' 

4  Yes,  a  week  more  of  secrets.' 

4  And  after  that  ? ' 

4  No  one  can  keep  a  secret  from  his  other 
self,'  I  answered. 

She  smiled. 

4 1  have  fought  upon  this  river.  I  have 
worked  upon  it,  and  beside  it.  I  have  gone 
to  it  in  happiness  and  it  has  laughed  with 
me  ;  I  have  sought  it  when  in  trouble  and  it 
has  never  failed  me.  It  talks  to  me.  I  have 
learned  many  things  from  it  ;  it  never  kept  a 
secret  from  me.  Now  I  want  that  it  should 
share  something  with  me  in  return.' 

4  What  ? ' 

4  You,  Lesbia,  the  best  thing  I  have  got. 
It  is  the  one  return  that  I  can  make  worthy 
of  the  river.' 

She  smiled  a  faint  glad  smile  and  looked 
down  at  the  water. 

c  How  long  ?  '  she  asked  at  length. 

4  A  month,  a  moon.' 

4  Won't  we  get  tired  of  it  by  then  ? ' 

I  shook  my  head. 


i4  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

*  Mayn't  we  get  tired  of  each  other  all 
alone  together,  so  solitary  ? ' 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  '  when  you  have  found  a 
book,  a  book  full  of  heart  secrets,  do  you  care 
to  first  open  it  in  public  ?  Do  not  you  take 
it  to  some  quiet  place  where  no  one  comes, 
to  read  and  think  and  read  again.  You  are 
such  a  book  to  me.  I  want  a  quiet  place  to 
read  you  in.' 

She  smiled  again  that  little  enigmatic  smile 
tinged  with  a  blush,  and  answered — 

4  But  I — I  ?  What  am  I  to  do  ?  Be  read, 
and  that  is  all  ? ' 

'  You  must  read  me,  and  read  yourself,  your 
real  self.  There  are  so  many  things  I  want  you 
to  read — and  understand.  You  must,  you  must.' 

4  Whether  I  will  or  no  ? ' 

4  Whether  you  will  or  no.  But  you  must 
will.  That  is  part  of  the  undertaking,  to  be 
read  and  read.' 

4  Oh !' she  said ;  'is  that  so?  I  did  not  know.' 

4  Yes,  it  is  so.  Love  lies  in  telling  secrets. 
Didn't  you  know  ?  ' 

She  shook  her  head.     4  I  have  no  secrets.' 

4  Oh  yes  ;  you  have  secrets  innumerable. 
You  may  not  know  them,  but  they  are  there, 
for  me  to  waken,  for  us  both  to  read.' 

She  shook  her  head. 

4  I  have  no  secrets.' 

4  Lesbia,'  I  said,  4  look  up  !  '  I  took  her 
face  between  my  hands  and  held  it.  4  Lesbia, 
I  look  into  your  eyes.  They  are  as  deep  as 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  15 

any  sea,  profound  as  is  the  heaven.  I  see 
there  shadows  passing  to  and  fro,  dim,  faint, 
unrealised  imaginings  of  things  to  come.  You 
may  not  know,  but  they  are  there.  Those 
are  your  secrets.' 

4 1  do  not  know  them.' 

c  No.  But  I  will  read  them,  for  myself  and 
you,  and  from  imaginings  they  will  become 
realities.' 

She  only  stared  into  the  sunrise. 

'  And  there  is  no  place  like  the  river. 
Lesbia,  will  you  come  ? ' 

'  I  must,'  she  said.  '  I  suppose  you  brought 
me  here  for  that  ? ' 

'  That  amongst  other  things.' 

'Then  it  is  settled.  Shall  we  now  go 
back  ? ' 

'  Not  yet,'  I  said.  *  There  is  something 
more  to  see.  Look  over  once  again.' 

She  looked  and  gave  a  gasp  of  astonishment. 
For  all  the  gorge  beneath  was  white,  was  full 
of  fleecy  mists.  They  hid  the  river  and  the 
forest  like  a  rising  sea.  The  sun  gleamed  on 
them,  but  could  not  pierce  them. 

'  Where  did  they  come  from  ? '  she  de- 
manded. 

'  From  nowhere.  The  first  sunbeams  draw 
them  from  out  the  ground.  Look,  they  are 
rising  ! ' 

Slowly  they  rose,  a  great  white  sea  that 
flowed  in  billowed  clouds  between  the  moun- 
tains. They  surged  up  to  the  rock  on  which 


1 6  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

we  stood,  flowed  about  our  feet  and  then  en- 
gulfed us.  All  the  view  had  gone.  We  two 
stood  in  completest  solitude  upon  our  rock. 
We  could  not  even  see  each  other's  faces 
clearly,  so  thick  the  mist  was  round  us.  Up 
above,  the  sun  was  paled  into  a  wan  white 
globe  amid  the  drifting  wreaths. 

e  What  a  change  ! '  she  said. 

'  Yes,  a  short  while  ago  the  sun  was  strong, 
filling  the  world  with  light  and  heat.  Now 
look  at  it.  What  does  it  remind-you  of? ' 

She  shook  her  head. 

*  I  saw  the  pallid  corpse 
Of  the  dead  sun 

Borne  through  the  northern  sky  : 
Blasts  from  Niffelheim 
Lifted  the  sheeted  mists 
About  him  as  he  passed.' — 

I  quoted. 

She  nodded.  c  Yes,  the  "  sheeted  mists." 
They  are  just  like  that.' 

The  mist  swirled  past  us  in  long  wreaths 
and  coils  and  eddies,  drawn  upward  by  the 
heat.  Slowly  the  valley  beneath  cleared 
again.  Through  the  thinning  mists  we  saw 
the  forest  reappear,  and  then  the  river.  At 
last  the  mists  rose  above  and  left  the  world 
below  clear.  The  sun,  having  got  them  up 
into  his  sky,  very  quickly  ate  them  up,  and  all 
the  world  was  bright  once  more. 

Then  we  remounted  our  ponies  and  rode  back. 


CHAPTER    II 


'  True  marriage  lieth  not  in  form  nor  ceremony,  in 
charms  recited  by  priests  nor  bonds  framed  by  lawyers, 
but  like  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  it  is  within  you.' 

GANGLER. 


II 


is  more  than  four  hours  now 
since  we  were  married,  and 
yet  I  cannot  bring  myself  to 
realise  what  has  happened, 
that  when  the  guests  say 
Mrs.  Gallic  they  mean  me, 
and  that  I  must  answer  ;  that  I  no  longer  am 
myself,  an  entity  apart,  but  a  half  with  some 
one  else.  Moreover,  the  other  half  isn't  here. 
We  were  married  at  nine  o'clock,  and  at 
ten  there  was  the  wedding  breakfast.  At 
eleven  I  retired  to  change  and  rest,  and  now 
at  two  o'clock  I  am  waiting  in  the  verandah 
for  my — for  him.  He  went  off  to  make  the 
final  arrangements  on  the — whatever  it  is, 
that  is  to  take  us  on  our  honeymoon.  That 
is  another  thing  that  troubles  me.  Every  one 
else  in  the  station,  no  doubt,  knows  what  this 
conveyance  is  ;  I  alone  don't  know — yet  it  is 
for  me.  And  they  are  not  content  with  know- 
ing and  keeping  silent ;  they  must  hide  their 
knowledge  under  a  pretence  of  curiosity  and 
ignorance  that  is  simply  exasperating.  Only 


20  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

men  would  do  such  a  thing.  Men  never 
really  seem  to  grow  up  in  some  things.  They 
are  always  children.  They  are  talking  now 
behind  my  back.  For  all  the  station  are  in 
the  verandah  also,  two  women  and  seven  men. 
The  two  women  are  sitting  in  chairs  at  the 
end,  but  the  men  seem  mostly  to  have  followed 
me  here,  where  I  came  to  look  out  for  him. 
I  can  hear  them  talking,  and  if  possible  I  take 
no  notice,  but  sometimes  they  address  them- 
selves directly  to  me,  and  I  have  to  answer. 
That  is  young  Lieutenant  Dicker  now. 

*  He  's  late,  Mrs.  Gallic.  Perhaps  he  is  not 
comin'  back  at  all,  forgotten  all  about  it. 
He 's  an  absent-minded  beggar,  your  hus- 
band. Left  me  out  shootin'  once  just  like 
this.  Quite  forgot  all  about  me,  but  he 
did  not  forget  to  take  the  lunch  coolie  with 
him.' 

'  Shall  I  go  and  fetch  him,  Mrs.  Gallio  ? ' 
asks  Major  Burns  eagerly. 

'  Oh,  do  be  quiet,'  I  say.  '  He  is  not  late. 
There  's  lots  of  time.' 

4  There  are  all  sorts  of  stories,'  that  young 
Dicker  goes  on,  '  about  the  thing  he  has  fitted 
up  for  you  to  go  down  the  river  in.  Won't 
you  tell  us  about  it  ? ' 

1  No,'  I  say,  c  I  won't' 

'  I  did  hear/  says  another  voice,  Mr. 
Roberts's  I  think,  '  that  Gallio  had  bought  a 
flotilla  steamer,  taken  out  the  engines  and 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  21 

boilers,  and  had  it  painted  white  and  gold  and 
furnished  from  Maple.' 

Silence  from  me. 

4 1  don't  believe  that,'  says  Major  Burns. 
4 1  have  heard  a  much  more  likely  story. 
Ballantyne  told  me  a  few  days  ago  that,  as  he 
came  up  on  his  mail  steamer,  he  saw  a  queer 
thing  in  the  river  just  in  front  of  him  ;  he 
kept  his  eye  on  it,  but  when  he  came  near,  it 
disappeared.  He  says  if  it  hadn't  been  a 
thousand  miles  from  the  sea,  he  could  have 
sworn  it  was  a  submarine.' 

'  What  a  lovely  idea,'  says  Dicker. 

'  Nonsense  !  '  says  Mr.  Bruce,  '  no  one 
would  go  for  a  honeymoon  on  a  submarine/ 

'  Why  not  ? ' 

*  No  view.'     This  from  Roberts. 

'  People  don't  care  about  views  on  honey- 
moons,' says  Major  Burns.  '  Mrs.  Gallio 
don't ;  do  you,  Mrs.  Gallio  ? ' 

More  silence  on  my  part.  I  could  have 
stamped,  but  I  don't  think  I  did. 

'  Another  story  I  heard,'  says  Dicker  in 
his  child's  voice,  c  is  that  the  conveyance  is 
really  only  two  lifebuoys.  Gallio  's  a  famous 
swimmer.  Can  you  swim,  Mrs.  Gallio  ? 
It 's  a  long  way  down  to  Rangoon,  but  I 
should  think  it  would  be  rather  jolly  to 
swim  it.  The  water  's  quite  warm,  and  you 
could  fish  as  you  went  along.' 

*  Wait,'  I  say  vindictively,  turning  round, 


22  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  till  you  are  all  married.  I  '11  come  to  all 
your  weddings  and  then  I  '11  tell  your  wives 
about  you.' 

There  is  a  dead  silence  of  dismay,  and  I 
turn  again  to  look  down  the  road.  There  is 
— he  at  last,  driving  up  fast.  They  all  see 
him. 

4  Here  he  comes,'  they  exclaim. 

'  Don't  he  drive  fast  ? '  says  the  Dicker  boy. 
c  That  pony  of  his,  Scamp,  nates  the  trap,  and 
thinks  if  he  only  runs  fast  enough  and  clatters 
loudly  enough  with  his  hoofs  that  he  will  get 
away  from  it,  leave  it  hanging  on  a  rail  or 
something.  He  is  fearfully  disgusted  when 
he  stops  to  find  the  beast  of  a  thing  has  got 
there  as  soon  as  he  has.  But  he  has  hopes  for 
next  time.' 

I  go  to  the  steps  and  my — husband  gets 
down  and  says  4  Lesbia,  I  am  sorry  I  am  late. 
There  was  a  great  deal  to  do.' 

'  You  are  not  late  at  all,'  I  say,  showing  my 
watch,  which  I  have  secretly  put  back  ten 
minutes.  '  You  are  exact,  as  you  always  like 
to  be.' 

If  I  hadn't  felt  furious  towards  those  other 
men  before,  I  would  now.  I  can  see  out  of 
the  back  of  my  head  that  they  are  exchanging 
glances  of  awed  admiration.  Only  young 
Dicker  takes  out  his  watch  and  is  about  to 
say  something,  but  through  some  accident  he 
falls  with  a  great  crash  out  of  the  verandah 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  23 

instead.  The  other  men  look  out  at  him  re- 
provingly as  he  struggles  amid  the  flower- 
pots. 

'  Has  all  your  luggage  gone  down  ? '  he 
asks.  '  And  your  ayah  ? ' 

'Yes,  everything  of  value,'  I  answer  ; 
4  there  is  only  me  left.' 

'  Then  come  along,'  he  says.  '  Mrs.  Stan- 
ford, you  will  give  us  fifteen  minutes'  law, 
please.  Then  we  expect  you  all  down  on  the 
river  to  drink  our  health  and  see  us  off.  You 
will  come  ? ' 

'  Of  course  we  are  coming,'  everybody  says 
cheerfully.  Then  he  gets  into  the  trap.  I 
climb  in  beside  him,  and  without  a  moment's 
hesitation  Scamp  runs  off  with  us. 

We  drive  through  the  little  station  and 
down  the  village  street  without  a  word. 
Only  I  feel  his  shoulder  touching  mine  some- 
times as  if  to  assure  itself  that  I  am  there.  I 
don't  push  back,  I  just  bear  it.  We  turn 
along  the  Strand  Road  and  I  see — it. 

'  Oh  !  '  I  say,  '  is  that  it  ? ' 

He  only  nods. 

'  A  raft ! '  I  exclaim.  '  We  are  going  down 
on  a  raft !  But  it  will  take  years  !  ' 

c  No,  only  a  moon,'  he  answers. 

By  that  time  we  have  arrived,  and  Scamp 
stops  as  if  he  knew  the  place.  He  jumps 
down,  and  would  lift  me  down,  only  that  I 
won't  be  lifted,  and  jump  out.  He  pats  the 


24  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

pony  and  says  good-bye  to  it,  and  Scamp  is  led 
away.     Then  we  go  down  and  on  to  the  raft. 

Certainly  it  is  a  wonderful  raft.  It  is 
made  of  rough  logs  that  have  been  felled  in 
the  mountains  up  above  and  brought  down  by 
the  streams  into  the  river.  There  they  are 
caught  and  rafted  into  long  rafts  made  of 
many  joints.  Ours  has  seven,  each  of  some 
twenty  logs  tied  together  side  by  side.  The 
logs  are  about  twenty  feet  long,  so  that  each 
joint  is  quite  a  comfortable  size.  The  first  joint 
has  nothing  on  it ;  it  consists  only  of  the  bare 
logs  and  two  big  oars  at  the  end.  It  is  the 
second  joint  that  we  go  on  to  by  a  little  gang- 
way, and  here  a  thick  framework  of  bamboo 
has  been  laid  down  to  form  a  deck. 

'  This  is  our  forecastle,'  he  says.  c  Here  we 
will  sit  in  the  evenings  and  the  early  morning. 
How  do  you  like  it  ? ' 

But  I  only  nod. 

4  Next  is  the  salon.'  He  leads  me  over  a 
little  bridge  spanning  the  chasm  between  the 
joints,  and  we  enter  a  fair-sized  room.  Its 
walls  are  of  matting  and  its  roof  of  thatch, 
but  it  all  looks  clean  and  white.  It  is  nicely 
furnished  too  with  camp  furniture,  tables,  and 
chairs,  and  even  a  sideboard.  There  are  rugs 
upon  the  floor  and  muslin  curtains  on  the 
windows.  Over  the  doors  are  curtains. 

'  This  is  our  dining-  and  drawing-room,' 
he  explains.  '  How  do  you  like  it  ? ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  25 

I  say  that  it  is  charming.  And  indeed  it 
is  charming,  so  fresh  and  pretty.  There  are 
even  a  few  pictures  on  the  walls  and  a  book- 
case with  some  books. 

There  are  flowers  on  the  table — quantities 
of  flowers — roses  and  orchids  and  others  I  do 
not  know. 

'  Where  did  you  get  the  flowers  ? '  I  ask. 

'  Presents,'  he  answers.  '  Many  people 
called  to  say  good-bye,  and  all  brought  flowers. 
It  is  their  charming  custom.  The  roses  make 
one  think  of  home.' 

When  we  have  fully  inspected  the  salon, 
we  go  on.  There  is  a  door  at  the  back  and 
another  little  bridge  leading  to  a  second  build- 
ing. We  cross  together. 

At  the  door  he  hesitates  a  moment  and 
looks  at  me. 

c  Well  ? '  I  ask.     '  What  is  this  ? ' 

He  does  not  answer,  but  opens  the  door. 

It  is  the  bedroom.  I  knew  of  course  it 
must  be  the  bedroom — my  bedroom,  our  bed- 
room, but  I  did  not  realise  it  till  I  entered. 
It  is  the  same  size  as  the  salon,  but  it  is 
divided.  There  is  a  curtain  on  rings  that 
extends  down  the  middle,  making  two  com- 
partments. He  pushes  the  curtain,  and  we 
enter  the  right-hand  compartment. 

It  is  really  beautifully  furnished.  I  don't 
know  how  he  got  the  things  to  this  far  corner 
of  the  world.  I  begin  to  suspect  that  there 


26  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

was  something  in  Mr.  Roberts's  suggestion  of 
Maple.  There  is  a  little  wardrobe,  a  dressing- 
table,  a  long  mirror,  all  in  delicate  white 
wood  that  matches  absolutely  with  the  mat- 
ting walls.  There  is  a  carpet  on  the  floor. 
And  there  is  a  bed,  the  dearest  little  bed, 
with  white  counterpane  and  filmy  mosquito- 
net  tied  with  blue  ribbons.  In  size  my  half 
is  not  much  bigger  than  a  ship's  cabin,  but  it 
has  a  homely  look,  and  I  see  that  the  ayah 
has  already  put  out  my  brushes  and  other 
things.  He  must  have  told  her,  so  that  the 
place  should  not  look  bare  to  me  at  first  sight. 
I  do  not  need  to  tell  him  how  pleased  I  am. 
He  can  see  it,  and  he  blushes  with  pleasure  at 
my  pleasure. 

'  And — you  ? '  I  ask. 

He  pulls  the  curtain  aside.  The  other  half 
is  his,  but  how  different.  No  carpet,  no 
furniture,  save  a  camp  chair.  His  clothes 
are  hung  up  on  hooks  on  the  wall,  for  he  has 
no  wardrobe.  And  his  bed  is  just  a  plain 
folding  camp-cot,  with  an  Austrian  striped 
blanket  on  it.  Near  the  head  of  the  bed  is  a 
rack  holding  his  gun  and  rifle,  and  there  is  a 
row  of  boots. 

'  Oh  !  *  I  say,  looking  from  him  to  his  half. 

'Plain,  but  useful,'  he  says  —  'like  the 
owner.' 

'  But  it  looks  so  bare,'  I  say. 

4  Well,'  he  says  wistfully,  '  if  you  want  to 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  27 

give  me  something   pleasant  to  look   at,  the 
curtain  need  not  always  be  drawn.' 

There  is  a  little  silence. 

*  What  is  beyond  ?  '  I  ask  at  last. 

4  The  bathrooms  are  next.  Then  on  the 
next  joint  is  the  kitchen,  then  the  servants, 
then  the  crew,  and  last  of  all  an  empty  joint 
with  oars,  like  at  the  bows.' 

We  go  back  into  the  salon,  where  his 
servants  Po  Chon  and  Po  Ka  are  waiting  for 
us.  They  are  setting  out  glasses  and  decanters 
and  tea-things  for  the  visitors  to  come.  There 
is  also  Spot,  his  fox-terrier,  who  has  been 
brought  down  by  the  servants,  and  who  re- 
claims his  master  with  joy,  but  me  somewhat 
coldly.  I  suppose  he  doesn't  understand  as 
yet,  or  perhaps  he  does  and  disapproves.  His 
manner  is  stand-off. 

4  But  where  is  Lady  ?  '  I  inquire.  c  Isn't 
she  coming  too  ? ' 

He  shakes  his  head.  '  There  is  her  family,' 
he  answers,  c  four  small  blind  creatures  only  a 
week  old.  I  thought  they  would  be  in  your 
way  here,  Lesbia,  so  I  have  left  her  behind. 
I  sneaked  out  of  the  bungalow  just  now  when 
she  didn't  know.  She  won't  find  out  till  I 
have  gone.  Bateson  will  care  for  her.  She 
will  miss  me  for  a  day  or  two,  but  her  puppies 
will  console  her.' 

As  if  to  contradict  his  words,  there  is  a 
scamper  heard  on  the  bank,  a  whining  and 


28  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

pattering.  Then  Lady  jumps  on  to  the  raft, 
sniffs  about  and  bursts  into  the  room,  rushes 
up  to  her  master  and  goes  into  an  ecstasy 
of  joy.  She  jumps  about  and  whines  with 
delight  at  having  found  him,  and  tries  to  lick 
his  hand.  I  laugh,  while  Po  Chon  and  Po 
Ka  regard  her  with  sympathy.  Her  master 
catches  hold  of  her  and  lifts  her  up. 

'  Lady,'  he  says  severely,  '  this  is  most 
scandalous.' 

She  droops  her  ears  and  lowers  her  tail. 
Evidently  she  recognises  that  it  is  scandalous, 
but  doesn't  intend  to  mind  that. 

'  You  have  abandoned  your  family,'  con- 
tinues her  master,  '  your  young  family,  to 
strangers,  and  preferred  to  come  out  on  a 
pleasure  jaunt  with  me.  I  cannot  be  a  party 
to  any  such  behaviour.  Go  back,  madam. 
They  will  be  crying  their  tongues  out  for 
you.  Go  back  at  once.'  He  puts  her  down. 

Lady  sees  that  matters  are  serious.  She 
glances  round  for  a  place  of  refuge  and  then 
disappears  into  the  bedroom  and  under  his 
bed. 

When  Po  Ka  goes  to  bring  her  out,  she 
bites  him  in  the  wrist,  not  viciously,  for  they 
are  great  friends,  but  despairingly,  as  if  saying, 
c  I  don't  want  to  hurt  you,  but  you  must  leave 
me  alone.'  So  her  master  has  to  go  and  bring 
her  out  himself.  Then  she  is  delivered  into 
the  arms  of  a  peon  to  be  carried  home,  and 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  29 

is  borne  off  amid  heartrending  shrieks.  All 
the  people  look  at  her  with  sympathy.  Spot 
alone  seems  pleased.  I  am  told  that  his  family 
bores  him.  That  is  the  sex  all  over.  How 
men  hate  bother  ! 

A  few  minutes  later  the  station  all  come 
driving  and  riding  down.  I  show  them  the 
deck  and  the  salon,  and  they  are  much  pleased. 
Mrs.  Stanford  says  it  is  an  ideal  way  to  pass 
a  honeymoon,  and  every  one  praises  it  except 
young  Dicker.  He  adheres  to  a  submarine 
as  his  ideal. 

The  women  have  tea,  but  the  men  say  they 
want  to  drink  our  healths.  I  wonder  why  it 
can't  be  done  in  tea  ?  And  why  do  women 
never  drink  each  other's  healths  ?  That  is  a 
curious  question  which  just  occurs  to  me,  and 
it  will  be  interesting  to  discuss  it  with  him. 

I  seem  to  be  discovering  things  I  had  not 
thought  of  before. 

However,  they  all  drink  our  healths  in 
champagne  and  wish  us  good  luck. 

Young  Dicker  wants  to  make  a  speech,  but 
is  gently  yet  firmly  put  outside. 

The  women  kiss  me.  The  men  look  as  if 
they  would  like  to  kiss  me  too,  but  daren't. 
So  they  shake  hands  instead. 

Then,  as  it  is  time  for  us  to  start,  they 
all  go  ashore  and  stand  on  the  bank  waiting  to 
see  us  off. 

There  is  a  pulling  up  of  stakes,  a  loosening 


30  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

of  ropes,  and  the  raft  begins  to  drift  with  the 
current. 

Then  I  see  the  use  of  the  oars.  The  crew 
pull  at  these  oars,  and  the  front  of  the  raft  is 
worked  gradually  away  from  the  bank.  It  is 
hard  and  very  slow  work  pulling  the  bows  of 
a  raft  sideways.  The  space  between  us  and 
the  shore  only  widens  very  gradually. 

But  we  are  not  off  yet.  There  is  a 
commotion  up  the  road.  Some  one  is 
running. 

It  is  the  peon  who  carried  Lady  back. 
He  is  running  down  towards  us  shouting. 
He  is  telling  the  people  something,  but  they 
take  no  notice  and  only  laugh.  Then  I  see 
that  he  is  pursuing  a  small  white  thing  that 
scampers  in  front  of  him.  It  must  be  Lady, 
escaped.  He  calls  to  those  in  front  to  catch 
or  stop  her,  but  instead  they  make  a  way  for 
her.  I  can  see  she  has  something  in  her 
mouth  which  she  carries  very  gingerly. 

She  reaches  the  shore,  measures  the  foot  or 
two  of  water  that  already  divides  us  from  the 
land,  clears  it  with  a  jump  and  looks  round, 
makes  up  in  her  mind  the  proper  thing  to  do, 
runs  up  to  me  and  deposits  her  puppy  in  my 
lap.  'Just  mind  that  for  a  minute,'  she  says. 
Then  in  a  perfect  ecstasy  of  delight  that  she 
has  solved  the  problem,  she  goes  and  lies  down 
at  her  master's  feet. 

'  Lesbia,'  he  says.     *  Your  sex  will  have  its 


31 

way.     You  see.     Are  we  to  have  Lady  and 
her  family  with  us  ? ' 

'  We  must,'  I  say,  stroking  the  queer, 
squeaking  little  blind  creature  in  my  lap. 
'  You  can't  send  her  back  again.  She  is 
determined  to  go  with  you,  and  as  you 
wouldn't  take  her  alone  she  has  brought  one 
puppy.  Better  send  for  the  others.' 

'  Very  well,'  he  says,  and  gives  orders, 

We  move  so  slowly  that  the  peon  has  time 
to  go  back  to  the  house  and,  bringing  down 
the  other  puppies  in  their  basket,  overtake  us 
in  a  canoe  and  put  them  on  board. 

Lady  receives  them  as  a  matter  of  course, 
counts  them,  licks  them,  and  then,  quite  satis- 
fied, goes  to  sleep  under  a  chair. 

Our  company  is  complete.  The  raft  moves 
on,  quickening  its  march  as  it  gets  more  into 
the  current.  We  wave  a  last  good-bye  to  those 
on  shore.  They  cheer. 

Then  we  pass  round  the  bend.  There  are 
the  hills  on  either  side,  the  forest,  and  the  river. 
There  are  ourselves — alone. 


CHAPTER    III 


'He  has  a  flame  in  his  heart  and  a  mystery  in  his  head, 
for  it  appears  that  he  is  in  love.'  HAFIZ. 


Ill 


O  at  last  the  ceremony  and  the 
fuss  were  over.  Lesbia  was 
mine,  I  hers,  as  far  as  rites 
could  make  us  so.  Society 
had  given  each  to  the  other, 
and  our  future  lay  in  her 
hands  and  in  mine.  It  was  now  with  us  to 
make  reality  out  of  a  form,  to  find  the  sub- 
stance hid  beneath  vague  words,  to  change 
two  units  into  one.  We  gave  ourselves  unto 
the  river  of  our  fate  and  let  it  bear  us  on. 

We    passed    from  civilisation  into  nature's 
heart.     The    golden  afternoon    filled   all    the 
river  gorges  with  warm   light.     We  seemed 
to  lie  quite  still  on  sleeping  waters.      It  was 
the  hills  that  moved  ;    the  capes,  the  rocks, 
the  forest  that  defiled  on  either  side,  opening 
in  front,  closing  in  behind  as  we  passed  on. 
c  Lesbia,'  I  said. 
Her  eyes  sought  mine. 
'  Are  you  content  ? ' 

Her    fingers    closed    on    mine    and    loosed 
again. 


36  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  No  one  can  see  us,'  I  said.  '  You  can  do 
more  than  that.' 

She  looked  about  her.  The  salon  hid  us 
from  all  behind.  On  either  side  was  forest, 
and  sometimes  long  strips  of  rice-fields  stretch- 
ing up  long  ravines. 

6  Oh  no,'  she  said,  shaking  her  head.  c  You 
must  behave  in  public.' 

'  That 's  an  excuse,'  I  cried. 

'  Excuse  ?  For  what  ? '  Her  wide  eyes 
opened  with  a  child's  surprise,  but  I  saw  a 
mock  within  their  blue. 

c  You  know,  Lesbia,'  I  said,  '  you  are  mine. 
How  long  I  've  waited  hungry  and  thirsty 
both.  I  want  to  take  you  in  my  arms.' 

'  Oh  no,'  she  said,  and  shook  her  head. 
£  Aren't  we  quite  comfortable  as  we  are  ? ' 

I  looked  at  her.  She  lay  on  her  deck-chair 
in  listless  ease,  the  soft  curves  of  her  form 
showing  beneath  the  light  dress  that  she  wore. 
From  her  dainty  feet,  in  absurd  little  pointed 
shoes,  up  to  the  last  curl  of  her  hair,  so  fresh, 
so  sweet,  and  so  mysterious.  She  was  an 
enigma  wrapped  in  flesh,  a  riddle  in  a  dress, 
and  mine  the  reading.  Her  cheeks  were  a 
little  flushed,  there  was  a  wrinkle  in  her  fore- 
head ;  her  eyes  were  bright  and  full  of  a  soft 
defiance. 

c  Lesbia,'  I  said  ;  c  do  you  know  why  I 
married  you  ? ' 

She  shook  her  head.     c  I  was  never  good 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  37 

at  riddles.  Was  it  because  no  other  girl  was 
brave  enough  to  take  you  ?  ' 

'  No  ! '  I  said  indignantly.  '  It  was  because 
of  your  hair.' 

'  Why  my  hair  ? '  she  asked. 

4 1  like  its  colour,  its  changing  colour. 
Sometimes  it  is  like  gold,  and  sometimes  it  is 
like  fire.  I  like  red  hair.  Of  all  red  hair  I 
ever  saw,  I  adore  yours  most.  I  married  you 
because  I  want  to  have  red  hair  to  stroke,  to 
twine  about  my  fingers,  to  hold  up  against 
the  sun.  I  want  it  for  my  very  own.  It  has 
been  my  dream  from  childhood.' 

6  Oh,  but  you  can't,'  she  said.  *  It  would 
make  me  untidy.  I  would  never  let  you  do 
that.' 

1  Not  even  to  gratify  an  aesthetic  taste  ? ' 

c  Not  even  for  that,'  she  answered. 

I  sighed.  '  Then  there  is  your  skin,'  I  con- 
tinued. '  Do  you  know,  Lesbia,'  I  said  con- 
fidentially, '  that  in  the  evening  when  you 
wear  a  low  dress  your  shoulders  are  as  white 
as  white.  You  have  the  most  adorable 
shoulder-blades.  They  are  not  a  dead  white 
like  marble  or  like  wax,  but  a  soft  white. 
There  is  a  night  moth  that  is  white  like  that, 
and  when  you  touch  its  wings  the  white 
comes  of?  like  star-dust.  It  is  really  down, 
just  like  a  dove's,  only  so  very  small.  Have 
you  feathers  on  your  shoulders,  and  will  they 
come  off  ? ' 


38  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

c  I  suppose,'  she  said  sedately,  '  that  this  is 
really  a  roundabout  way  of  asking  if  I  use 
powder  ? ' 

'  It  isn't  that  at  all,'  I  remonstrated.  '  It  is 
that  I  am  very  fond  of  natural  history  and  have 
an  inquiring  mind.  Didn't  you  know  that  ? ' 

'  It  is  a  cruel  pursuit,'  said  Lesbia. 

c  On  the  contrary,'  I  urged,  '  it  is  the  out- 
come of  a  kind  and  loving  heart.  It  is 
fraught  with  real  benefits  to  mankind.  It 
elevates  the  student.' 

'  I  speak  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
specimen,'  retorted  Lesbia. 

'  That  is  a  selfish  point  of  view.' 

'  Are  not  you  selfish  too  ? '  she  said. 

6  The  specimens  like  it,'  I  urged. 

She  shook  her  head.  '  It  is  just  a  cruel 
curiosity,'  she  said. 

'  It  comes  from  a  true  desire  for  knowledge. 
I  want  to  know.' 

c  Whether  it  comes  off? ' 

'  Exactly.' 

She  didn't  answer,  only  moved  her  shoulders 
suggestively  under  their  muslin  and  looked 
more  defiant  still. 

The  afternoon  wore  slowly  on,  its  glamour 
growing.  The  passion  of  the  day  grew 
deeper  as  it  drew  towards  its  close.  The 
strength  and  effort  of  the  noon  had  passed 
into  the  glory  of  a  deed  accomplished,  and 
the  breeze  was  still. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  39 

The  sunlight  on  the  hills  was  warmer, 
richer,  and  there  were  shadows  in  the  vales. 

There  came  into  the  blood  a  glow  that 
made  the  heart  beat  and  the  pulses  throb.  A 
silence  took  us. 

And  yet  at  length  within  the  silence  there 
grew  a  tension  and  a  strain  we  could  not 
bear,  a  growing  impulse  that  must  find 
expression. 

'  Why  don't  you  talk  ? '  she  asked. 

I  shook  my  head.     '  I  feel  so  stupid.' 

4  Why  are  you  stupid  ?  You  have  usually 
so  much  to  say.' 

'  Because — because ' 

'  Because  of  what  ? ' 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  '  long,  long  ago  there  was 
a  king  who  had  a  favourite  page.  His  name 
was  Selim.  He  was  the  life  and  joy  of  all  the 
Court,  because  he  laughed,  because  he  talked, 
because  he  was  always  merry.  Then  suddenly 
he  became  dumb,  and  in  a  day  or  two  he  dis- 
appeared.' 

Lesbia  opened  her  eyes. 

'  The  king  sent  to  seek  him,  and  at  last  the 
vizier  came  with  news.  '  Selim  is  in  the 
desert.  He  sits  and  stares  out  to  the  far 
horizon  where  the  camels  go.  He  neither 
eats  nor  speaks.'  '  What  has  come  over  him  ? ' 
the  king  inquired.  '  Is  my  page  ill  ? '  The 
vizier  laughed.  c  He  is  not  ill — and  yet.  He 
hath  a  mystery  in  his  head,  and  in  his  heart  a 


40  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

flame.'  The  king  looked  astonished.  '  For 
Selim  is  in  love.' 

A  silence. 

'  Lesbia,  that  was  what  the  vizier  said. 
"  Selim  is  in  love." 

She  smiled  ;  then  suddenly  she  raised  to  me 
eyes  humid  with  her  thoughts,  and  cast  them 
down  again. 

We  drifted  on.  In  long,  slow  procession 
passed  islets  and  capes,  pagodas  bright  with 
gold,  and  carven  monasteries,  the  huts  of 
fishermen,  and  far  behind  the  hills.  The 
purple  wine  of  evening  filled  the  valleys  to 
their  brim. 

c  Please  talk,'  she  said  suddenly,  almost  with 
tears.  '  Please  talk,  please  laugh.  I  feel  as 
though  my  soul  were  drawing  out  from  me 
into  the  sunset.  Will  you  not  stop  it  ? ' 

She  placed  her  hand  upon  her  heart. 

I  moved  my  chair  up  nearer.  What  could 
I  say  but  childish  things  ?  When  the  heart 
is  full  you  dare  not  let  it  find  expression  in  the 
deepest  words  ;  and  therefore  you  must  laugh, 
as  the  sea  does  ;  you  must  have  ripples  on  the 
surface,  so  that  you  yourself  may  not  realise 
what  is  below. 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  '  I  want  to  learn  a  great 
many  more  things.' 

She  shook  her  head.  'That's  just  like  a 
man.  As  if  there  were  any  use  in  learning 
things.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  41 

'  Nice  things,'  I  said. 

She  glanced  half-doubtfully  at  me. 

I  Things  about  you,'  I  said. 
Lesbia  kept  silent. 

'You  should  ask,  "  What  sort  of  things  ?  " 
I  suggested. 

But  no.  She  only  smiled.  In  vain  is  the 
net  spread  in  the  sight  of  any  bird.  Instead 
of  that  she  made  a  base  diversion. 

4  You  want  perhaps  to  know,'  she  sug- 
gested, c  what  there  will  be  for  dinner  !  ' 

'  Lesbia  !  '  I  cried,  revolted  ;  '  the  cook 
and  Po  Chon  will  be  responsible  for  dinner. 
Your  duties  are  not  begun  yet,  only  your 
privileges.' 

'  Oh  ! '  said  Lesbia,  c  I  am  glad  of  that.  I 
didn't  know  a  specimen  had  any  privileges.' 

'  A  specimen  is  all  privileges,'  I  continued. 

No  answer. 

'  Besides  I  am  not  hungry — not  for  that  kind 
of  food  anyhow.' 

'  Perhaps  you  want  a  drink,'  she  insinuated. 
*  I  don't  approve,  but  I  won't  object.'' 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  pulling  my  chair  up  close 
to  hers,  '  I  want  to  eat  you.9 

'  Oh,'  she  returned  calmly,  '  I  am  not  good 
to  eat.  Besides  I  am  raw.  You  wouldn't  eat 
me  raw  ? ' 

I 1  would.' 

£  I  have  always  heard  men  never  thought 
of  anything  but  eating,'  she  replied,  '  but 


42  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

I  didn't  know  it  went  so  far  as — as  canni- 
balism.' 

'  Oh  yes,'  I  said  ;  '  quite  as  far  as  that,  in 
certain  cases.' 

'  Now  with  me  it's  different,'  she  continued. 
4 1  am  hungry  too  ;  but  it  is  because  I  didn't 
eat  any  breakfast.' 

1  Why  not  ? '  I  asked. 

c  Because  it  was  our  wedding  breakfast.' 

'  All  the  more  reason  you  should  eat,'  I 
answered.  c  I  did  ;  my  last  bachelor  meal,  of 
course  I  ate.' 

c  I  saw  you,'  she  replied.  '  With  me  it  is 
different.  But  I  suppose  that  men  never 
really  understand  anything.  I  didn't  eat 
breakfast — there,  never  mind  why — and  so  I 
am  hungry  now.  But  I  am  not  like  you  ; 
my  tastes  are  simple  and  vegetarian.  I  will 
be  satisfied  now  with  cakes  and  tea.' 

'  Very  well,'  I  said  submissively,  *  I  will 
tell  Po  Chon.'  I  rang  the  gong,  and  when 
Po  Chon  came,  I  told  him  to  bring  tea. 
'  Bring  fruit,'  I  said,  '  and  cakes  and  jam.' 

He  brought  two  little  tables  and  set  them 
out  between  us.  He  did  it  as  he  had  always 
done  for  me.  Lesbia  said  nothing,  but  I 
think  later  she  will  make  changes.  Poor  Po 
Chon,  his  easy  days  are  gone. 

She  poured  out  tea. 

'  Do  you  know,'  I  asked  her,  '  what  you  are 
doing  ? ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  43 

She  raised  her  eyebrows.  'You  are  full  of 
riddles — pouring  out  tea  am  I  not  ? ' 

4  You  are  officiating,'  I  returned,  '  at  your 
first  family  meal.  You  are  presiding  for  the 
first  time  at  your  own  table.  It  marks  an 
epoch.' 

4  True,'  she  said.  c  Does  Po  Chon  always 
give  you  powdered  sugar  to  put  in  your  tea  ? ' 

4  The  sugar  is  for  the  fruit,'  I  explained. 
4 1  don't  take  sugar  in  my  tea,  thanks.' 

4  I  do,'  said  Lesbia. 

I  rang  the  gong  loudly  and  hastily.  When 
Po  Chon  came,  the  dreadful  fact  was  dis- 
covered that  there  was  no  lump-sugar.  In 
fact,  I  never  had  any.  For  coffee  I  prefer 
brown  sugar.  Po  Chon  suggested  telegraph- 
ing from  Katha,  where  we  arrive  to-morrow. 
Lesbia  made  mental  notes.  But  what  she  said 
was,  c  It  doesn't  matter.  It 's  just  the  same 
sugar  really.  It 's  only  a  matter  of  form 
having  it  in  lumps.' 

'  Only  a  matter  of  form,  indeed,'  I  thought ; 
4  and  woman's  life  is  made  up  of  forms.  Yet 
she  pretends  to  disregard  it.  What  can  be 
the  matter  with  Lesbia  ?  Yet  she  looks  as 
calm  as  calm.'  However  we  had  tea. 

And  the  raft  moved  on. 

The  sun  bent  down  towards  its  setting  ; 
shadows  grew  from  out  the  hills  and  spread 
across  the  earth.  We  passed  a  village  now 
and  then  and  saw  the  signs  of  evening.  Light 


44  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

films  of  smoke  rose  up  from  fires  where 
housewives  cooked  the  suppers  for  the  men. 
From  the  fields  cattle  came  slowly  home  ; 
they  raised  a  dust  which  turned  to  crimson 
haze  and  hung  in  the  still  air.  Men  crossed 
the  fields,  converged  towards  the  gates,  weary 
with  work,  glad  of  the  coming  rest.  On  the 
village  front  the  girls  came  down  to  draw  the 
evening  water.  They  waded  into  the  shallows 
and  they  watched  us  pass.  We  bent  around  a 
cape  and  entered  a  long  reach  that  seemed  to 
go  straight  to  the  sunset's  heart.  It  was  a 
golden  way  that  led  up  to  a  glory.  All  the 
world  throbbed  with  the  passion  of  the  sun 
going  unto  his  rest.  His  couch  was  hung 
with  curtains  of  rose-red,  the  bars  were  gold. 
The  passion  died  into  a  languor,  and  the  sun 
was  gone.  Yet  his  flush  lingered  in  the  sky, 
and  in  the  midst  a  star. 

For  long  neither  of  us  spoke,  only  we 
watched. 

Then  as  the  dark  was  nearly  come,  the 
raftsmen  thought  of  mooring  for  the  night. 
With  the  long  sweeps  they  moved  the  raft 
towards  the  shore.  There  was  a  bank  of  sand 
between  us  and  the  forest. 

They  landed  with  a  rope  tied  to  a  stake, 
and  dug  it  deep  into  the  sand,  holding  the 
stake's  end.  The  raft  moved  on,  dragging  the 
stake  like  a  great  plough  through  the  loose 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  45 

sand.  And  so,  by  little  and  by  little,  our  pro- 
gress was  arrested,  and  we  lay  close  in  beside 
the  bank.  There  they  made  us  fast  to  posts 
deep  driven  into  the  soil. 

The  raft  had  come  to  rest,  but  beside  us 
and  beneath  us  the  river  still  flowed  on.  It 
lapped  against  our  logs  in  a  low  song ;  it 
swayed  and  rocked  us. 

Above,  the  stars  came  out,  the  myriad  eyes 
that  watch  and  see  all  things,  and  laugh  and 
then  forget.  For  they  look  always  forward 
and  never  back.  The  past  is  passed,  and  the 
future  is  to  come. 

Slowly  the  light  faded  utterly.  The  hills 
were  hidden  in  the  night,  the  forest  dis- 
appeared. 

Yet  was  not  the  river  dark.  It  had  a  light 
upon  its  face,  that  came  I  know  not  whence. 
It  may  be  some  faintest  phosphorescence  of 
its  waters  or  the  sheen  of  stars  reflected  there. 
I  do  not  know.  It  made  the  river  like  a 
mystic  way  across  the  dark. 

And  from  a  village  on  the  other  side  lights 
twinkled  redly  and  happily.  They  were  the 
lamps  of  homes. 


CHAPTER    IV 


'  Desire  in  the  beginning  came  upon  her,  which  was  the 
first  seed  of  thought.'  Veda. 


IV 


cabin  looks  quite  cheerful 
with  the  lamps  Po  Chon  has 
lit.  He  has  even  put  fairy- 
lamps  upon  the  dinner-table 
and  decked  it  out  with  flowers. 
Later  on  I  will  arrange  the 
flowers  myself,  but  for  to-night  it  does  not 
matter.  It  is  a  relief  to  pass  for  a  while 
within  four  walls  out  of  the  distances  of  the 
night,  to  see  familiar  homely  things  instead  of 
the  hills,  to  feel  a  roof  above  instead  of  stars. 
This  great  nature  that  he  cares  for  so  much 
is  strange  to  me.  I  know  town  better  than 
country,  streets  than  lanes,  roofs  than  hills. 
Even  in  the  country  at  home,  man  and  his 
work  is  always  the  first  thing  evident.  And 
the  distances  one  can  see  are  short.  In  this 
clear  air  I  seem  to  see  into  infinity,  and  become 
lost  in  these  great  vistas.  So  that  my  eye 
seeks  always  the  village,  the  cottage,  or  the 
monastery  first,  and  nature  is  to  me  but  a 
vague  background  to  humanity.  To  him  it 
has  a  reality  of  its  own,  and  a  personality. 

D 


50  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

He  seems  to  feel  as  if  there  were  in  truth  a 
spirit  in  all  things,  in  hills,  in  rivers,  trees,  and 
flowers.  But  I  feel  comfort  only  in  the  sight 
or  the  remembrance  of  a  home.  It  brings  me 
back  into  myself. 

'  My  friend,'  I  say  as  we  go  in,  '  there  is  a 
homeliness  about  a  room,  a  dinner-table,  and 
Po  Chon,  that  your  river  lacks.' 

c  Yes,  you  are  strangers  yet,'  he  says. 

<  Who  ? ' 

'You  and  the  river.' 

I  laugh.     c  You  talk  as  if  it  lived,  this  river.' 

He  only  smiles  in  answer. 

'  Where  do  I  sit  ? '  I  ask.  But  I  need  not 
ask.  Po  Chon  has  settled  that  himself.  He 
has  put  a  cushion  in  the  chair  he  thinks  I 
ought  to  occupy.  Who  is  to  manage  things, 
I  wonder,  in  future,  Po  Chon  or  myself  ?  I 
think  I  will. 

He  does  not  talk.  He  is  distrait.  This 
vexes  me.  It  is  stupid  to  be  so  at  one's  first 
dinner.  I  wonder  if  this  is  his  real  self  com- 
ing out.  I  try  to  talk,  to  be  gay,  to  laugh. 
He  only  answers  in  monosyllables,  and  looks 
at  me.  His  look  annoys  me,  but  I  have  to 
bear  it  because  it  shows  he  admires  me.  A 
wife  seems  to  have  a  good  deal  to  put  up 
with,  and  I  am  already  beginning  to  find  it 
out.  I  suppose  it  is  because  I  am  his  wife 
now  that  he  won't  take  the  trouble  to  enter- 
tain me.  Are  these  his  family  manners  ?  He 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  51 

looks  so  gloomy  that  I  could  throw  things  at 
him. 

He  will  not  eat.  I,  on  the  contrary,  am 
hungry  and  eat  well.  The  soup  is  excellent. 
I  wonder  how  Anthony,  his  Madras  cook, 
manages.  I  will  inquire — later.  How  glad 
I  am  that  all  the  trouble  of  getting  married  is 
over.  The  service  tired  me,  but  the  wedding 
breakfast  tired  me  still  more,  and  the  saying 
good-bye.  It  is  horrid  to  be  stared  at  and 
joked  at.  Now  we  should  be  quietly  settling 
down  into  that  friendship  which  is  marriage. 
Yet  he  is  moody.  I  don't  know  why. 

'  My  friend,'  I  say,  '  what  is  the  matter  ? ' 

'  Nothing,'  he  answers. 

e  Are  you  not  well  ?  ' 

That  seems  to  annoy  him.  A  man  hates 
to  be  told  he  isn't  well. 

4 1  am  quite  well,  thanks,'  he  says.  4  Why 
do  you  ask  ? ' 

4  Because  you  don't  seem  quite  your  usual 
self.' 

4  I  'm  not,'  he  answers. 

4  Why  not  ? '  I  ask. 

He  looked  surprised  at  my  question.  '  My 
usual  self  to  date  has  been  a  bachelor,'  he 
answers,  '  an  entity  in  myself.  To-day  I  am 
to  be  more  and  more  merged  with  some  one 
else  in  a  compound  corpuscle  called  marriage.' 

4  Oh,'  I  say,  '  that  is  already  done.  We 
were  married  at  ten  o'clock.  C'est  un  fait 


52  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

accompli,  monsieur.  And  after  all  it  is  not 
very  alarming,  and  I  do  not  notice  that  I  have 
changed  much.' 

He  looks  at  me  curiously. 

4  Then  in  your  opinion,'  he  asks,  '  the  act 
of  marriage  is  completed  ? ' 

'  Certainly,'  I  answer  with  wide  open  eyes. 
'  The  church  service  is  complete  in  itself,  isn't 
it  ?' 

'  Oh,  as  far  as  a  ceremony  goes,'  he  says 
carelessly. 

I  am  bewildered.  I  do  not  know  what  he 
means,  but  think  he  is  only  teasing  me.  He 
seems  upset  about  something.  I  dare  say  it 
has  been  a  troublesome  day  for  him. 

'  True,'  I  replied,  '  it  was  very  trying.  But 
it  is  all  past  now.  It  is  done  and  finished. 
Why  bother  about  the  past  ? ' 

'  Done  and  finished  ?  the  past  ? '  And  he 
opens  his  eyes. 

'  Of  course,'  I  say,  and  smile  at  him  to  try 
and  coax  him  into  a  good  temper.  Though 
why  he  should  require  coaxing,  I  don't  know. 

But  it  is  not  any  use.  He  just  glooms.  I 
think  it  is  the  stupidest  dinner  I  ever  sat  down 
to.  If  I  had  known  he  would  be  like  this,  I 
don't  know  if  I  should  have  married.  But 
he  was  never  like  this  before.  I  suppose,  now 
we  are  married,  he  thinks  he  can  take  off  his 
mask  and  show  himself  in  his  true  colours. 

The  river-fish  and  the  fowl  and  the  snipe 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  53 

are  as  excellent  as  the  soup.  The  only  sweet, 
however,  is  a  custard  pudding  which  I  don't 
like,  as  it  is  badly  cooked.  '  Doesn't  Anthony 
know  about  sweets  ? '  I  ask.  '  All  the  begin- 
ning of  the  dinner  is  good,  but  not  the  sweets.' 

'  I  don't  eat  sweets,'  he  replies. 

'No,  but  I  do,'  I  answer. 

Evidently  he  leaves  all  the  housekeeping  to 
Po  Chon,  for  as  far  as  his  own  thought  goes, 
he  has  considered  me  in  every  way.  But  Po 
Chon  has  not  realised  that  a  new  member 
with  tastes  of  her  own  has  come  into  the 
household.  Hence  the  want  of  lump-sugar 
and  puddings. 

He  says  something  in  Burmese  to  Po 
Chon,  and  they  have  a  long  conversation.  I 
don't  understand  a  word  of  it,  of  course. 
This  is  my  table,  and  I  am  the  mistress  of  this 
raft,  yet  I  am  an  outsider.  That  annoys  me. 
I  must  put  that  right  soon.  I  seem  to  be  a 
guest  in  my  husband's  house  ;  it  should  be 
the  other  way  about.  The  woman  owns  the 
house,  and  the  man  is  the  stranger  and  the 
guest.  I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  get  him  to 
understand  this.  He  has  been  master  of  his 
house  and  servants  so  long  that  he  won't  like 
giving  them  up.  He  won't  want  to  give 
them  up.  But  of  course  he  must.  I  won- 
der, however,  about  Po  Chon  and  Po  Ka. 
Will  they  take  to  a  mistress  instead  of  a  master 
after  fourteen  years  of  the  latter  ?  I  am 


54  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

beginning  to  make  maxims  for  wives.  '  Don't 
marry  a  man  who  has  old  servants.'  That  is 
quite  a  good  maxim. 

As  he  won't  talk,  I  have  to  occupy  myself 
with  reflections  and  with  eating.  I  am  sorry 
when  dinner  is  done.  I  even  eat  a  second 
pear  to  make  the  time  last  longer,  though  I 
don't  want  it  really. 

When  it  is  finished  he  says,  c  Suppose  we 
go  outside  ? ' 

But  I  have  for  the  present  had  enough  of 
that  vague  outside.  I  prefer  the  four  walls 
and  the  lights  and  the  companionship  of  the 
furniture.  I  am  not  afraid  here.  '  You  can 
smoke  here,'  I  say  to  pacify  him.  I  then 
make  myself  comfortable  in  a  cane-chair  in 
one  corner  of  the  room.  I  rather  wish  I  had 
some  work  to  occupy  my  fingers.  For  he 
won't  talk.  Instead  of  that,  after  Po  Chon 
has  cleared  away,  he  draws  his  chair  quite 
close  to  mine  and  strokes  my  hair.  I  can't 
bear  that.  It  makes  me  feel  hot  and  cold 
all  over.  '  Please  don't,'  I  say.  Then  he 
strokes  my  hand  and  arm,  which  is  worse. 
I  suppose  I  am  tired,  for  his  touch  burns  me 
and  makes  me  very  uncomfortable. 

'  Please  go  and  sit  over  the  other  side  of  the 
room,'  I  ask  him.  '  We  can  talk  quite  well 
across  the  table.  I  don't  like  being  touched.' 

'  Why  not  ? '  he  asks. 

'  Well,  I  am  not  accustomed  to  it.     I  don't 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  55 

like  being  pawed  about,  and  it  isn't  quite 
polite.' 

*  But  you  are  mine,'  he  says. 

'  Indeed  I  'm  not,'  I  say  indignantly  ;  '  I  am 
no  one's  property  but  my  own.  A  wife  is 
not  a  thing.' 

He  stares  at  me  apparently  perplexed. 

'  My  friend,'  I  say  pleadingly,  '  I  am  tired. 
You  have  had  a  number  of  kisses  to-day.  Let 
me  have  a  rest  now  until  to-morrow  at  break- 
fast. Let  us  talk  a  little  and  then  go  to  bed. 
We  will  meet  quite  fresh  at  breakfast,  and  I 
will  kiss  you  good-morning  if  you  are  good.' 

He  only  stares  at  me. 

I  get  up  and  make  a  chair  comfortable  for 
him  at  the  opposite  corner  to  mine,  putting  a 
cushion  in  it  and  a  little  table  beside  it. 
'  There,'  I  say,  '  sit  down  here  and  we  will 
have  a  chat  across  the  room  before  we  say 
good-night.' 

He  doesn't  answer  anything.  He  gets  up 
and  goes  out  abruptly  and  I  am  left  alone. 

I  sit  alone  and  wonder.  At  first  I  am 
irritated.  True  husband-manners,  I  suppose. 
Well,  let  him  go.  I  am  happier  alone. 

It  is  a  very  comfortable  cabin  and  a  cosy 
chair. 

But  it  is  a  little  dull — for  one's  wedding 
night.  I  wonder  what  is  the  matter  with 
him  to  go  away  like  that.  He  must  be  in  an 


56  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

awful  rage,  for  I  hear  him  breaking  things 
outside.  How  like  a  man  !  What  have  I 
done  ?  Has  he  any  right  to  be  angry  ?  I 
have  more  right.  He  treats  me  as  if  I  were  a 
nice  child,  petting  and  fondling,  and  then  when 
I  object,  leaving  me  as  if  I  were  a  naughty 
child.  How  dare  he  ?  I  am  quite  grown 
up  now,  over  twenty,  and  I  know  a  great  deal 
— far  more  than  he  does.  I  don't  mean  about 
stupid  things  like  business  or  government, 
but  about  life  and  human  nature — -at  least 
about  ordinary  human  nature  ;  but  husbands 
don't  seem  to  be  made  of  ordinary  human 
nature.  They  are  worse. 

Oh  I  am  lonely  ! 

Is  it  for  him  ?  No,  it  can't  be  that.  I 
expect  it  is  being  on  a  raft.  I  am  not  accus- 
tomed to  rafts.  That  must  be  it.  If  it  were 
a  house,  I  would  not  mind.  I  suppose  he 
expects  me  to  follow  him  out.  I  won't.  He 
must  learn  that  he  can't  have  it  all  his  own 
way.  If  he  likes  to  go  out  and  be  alone 
with  his  river  and  his  temper,  I  don't  mind. 

I  don't  mind. 

I  am  quite  happy  here  by  myself. 
And  I  won't  go  after  him.     After  him,  in- 
deed ! 

I  feel  very  tired.  It 's  getting  late.  I  have 
a  good  mind  to  go  to  bed  and  leave  him  out 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  57 

there.  When  we  next  meet,  at  breakfast,  he 
will  have  recovered  his  equanimity.  It  would 
serve  him  right. 

I — have — a — very — good — mind.   .   .   . 


ii 

When  I  left  Lesbia  and  went  outside,  it  was 
so  dark  after  the  lamps  inside  that  I  could  not 
see.  One  of  the  small  tables  naturally  took 
advantage  of  this  and  got  in  my  way,  so  that 
I  fell  over  it.  I  hurt  myself  a  good  deal,  but 
I  hurt  the  table  far  more,  I  am  glad  to  say.  I 
smashed  it  right  up  and  threw  the  pieces  into 
the  river.  That  was  a  relief. 

I  had  always  hated  that  table  anyhow. 

How  could  a  man  ever  understand  a  girl  ? 
It  wasn't  so  much  what  they  were  and  what 
they  knew,  as  what  they  weren't  and  what  they 
didn't  know.  A  man  married,  expecting  to 
find  certain  things  in  his  wife.  It  seemed  to 
him  part  of  the  contract  that  he  should  find 
them.  Apparently  he  didn't.  They  weren't 
there. 

If  they  were  to  come  there,  he  would  have 
to  put  them  there  himself.  That  seemed  to 
me  unfair. 

If  a  person  undertook  to  play  a  game  with 
you,  naturally  you  would  expect  that  she  knew 
what  the  game  was  and  had  some  inkling  of 


58  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

the  rules.  Suppose  you  engaged  a  girl  for  a 
dance,  and,  when  you  went  to  claim  her,  found 
that  she  considered  that  a  mutual  writing  of 
names  on  programmes  was  the  main  thing,  and 
that  for  the  rest,  you  went  out  for  a  walk,  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  street. 

Suppose  you  engaged  a  peach  or  an  apricot 
to  come  to  you  and  be  eaten,  but  when  she 
came  you  found  her  fixed  idea  was  that  she 
was  to  be  placed  under  a  glass  case  on  a  side- 
board. It  wasn't  fair  to  bring  up  girls  like 
that,  it  wasn't  fair  to  us.  Society  has  no  right 
to  deliberately  and  intentionally  blind  and  per- 
vert a  girl  in  that  way.  Nature  gave  her 
eyes.  She  could  not  have  lived  for  twenty 
years  without  seeing  things  and  wondering 
about  them.  Why  did  they  tell  her  false- 
hoods, try  to  kill  in  her  all  natural  instinctive 
knowledge  ? 

She  had  been  brought  up  a  nihilist.  The 
result  is  that  I  must  have  appeared  odious  to 
her.  It  put  me  in  a  false  light.  I  felt  furious. 

And  do  neither  the  mothers  who  keep  them 
ignorant  up  to  the  very  end,  nor  the  girls  who 
enter  into  a  contract  they  do  not  understand 
and  have  no  intention  of  keeping,  think  of  the 
profound  wickedness  of  what  they  do  ? 

Suppose  Lesbia  is  like  some  other  women, 
and  refuses  to  listen  to  reason  and  to  instinct  ? 
What  is  to  be  done  ?  Like  most  men,  to  live 
in  daily  intimacy  with  a  woman  who  was  not 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  59 

my  wife  in  fact  would  be  for  me  a  physical 
impossibility. 

Unless  Lesbia's  trust  in  me  and  her  natural 
sense  and  instinct  rise  superior  to  the  stupid 
ignorance  in  which  she  has  been  allowed  to 
enter  into  the  marriage  contract,  both  our  lives 
are  ruined.  We  must  separate  as  soon  as  possible. 
And  how  many  men's  lives  have  not  been  so 
ruined  !  The  world  is  full  of  them. 

The  trouble  about  cigars  was  that  they  never 
did  draw.  That  was  three  I  had  to  throw  away, 
and  my  case  was  empty.  There  was  a  box  in 
the  salon,  but  .  .  .  there  was  a  lion  in  the  path. 

The  darkness  of  the  night  was  soothing,  and 
its  great  spaces  gave  one  rest.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  be  angry  long  in  the  face  of  nature — 
she  who  bears  all  things  without  complaint, 
with  dignity  and  courage.  One  feels  so  small 
in  face  of  her.  And  if  we  allow  what  seems 
to  us  our  superiority,  our  intellect,  to  be 
clouded,  we  become  contemptible.  Nature 
is  never  in  a  rage.  She  has  her  storms,  but 
even  in  them,  perhaps  even  more  in  them, 
she  keeps  her  dignity. 

Between  four  walls  passion  is  pent  and 
waxes  ;  it  echoes  from  them  back  to  us  ;  we 
can  fill  a  room  with  rage.  But  outside,  it 
radiates  away  and  passes  into  forgetfulness. 

Besides,  there  are  the  stars  that  watch.  I 
became  quite  calm. 


60  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

I  wondered  what  she  was  doing.  I  felt  more 
sorry  for  her  than  for  myself  even.  Poor  child ! 
What  was  she  thinking  of?  It  was  hard  for 
her.  To  live  a  life  for  twenty  years,  to  form 
a  theory  of  life,  and  then  to  have  it  shattered. 

Yet  it  had  to  be  shattered,  for  my  sake  and 

for    hers.     It  was  in  the  necessity  of  things 

that  it  must  be  so.     Happiness    lay  beyond. 

And  I  had  to  do  it.     She  would  forgive  me 

—after. 

But  now.  What  must  I  do  ?  My  courage 
had  all  gone.  How  ever  could  I  go  back  into 
the  salon  and  begin  ?  I  feared  I  might  get 
angry  again,  and  I  didn't  want  to  do  that. 

I  didn't  want  to  go  back  into  that  room. 

Of  course  I  could  have  said  I  came  for  the 
cigars. 

But  I  was  sure  that  she  would  guess  it 
wasn't  true — or  be  angry  that  it  was. 

1  Suppose  I  call  her,'  I  thought. 

'  But  what  if  she  doesn't  come  ? '  thought 
answered. 

'  Besides,  I  am  the  injured  person ;  she  should 
come  without  calling,'  said  I  to  thought. 

I  concluded  I  would  stay  there  a  while  yet. 
There  was  no  hurry. 

But  it  was  getting  late. 

What  of  that  ?     I  couldn't  help  its  getting 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  61 

late.  It  wasn't  my  fault.  I  had  no  control 
over  time.  I  could  not  stop  its  getting  even 
later  if  it  wanted  to.  Anyhow,  I  was  very 
comfortable  out  there. 

Only  rather  lonely. 


in 


I  haven't  heard  him  move  for  ever  so  long. 
Perhaps  he  is  asleep.  Anyhow,  I  can't  sit 
here  any  longer.  I  am  tired  and  shall  go  to 
bed.  But  I  will  preserve  my  temper  and  my 
manners  even  if  he  has  lost  his.  I  will  go 
just  as  far  as  the  door  and  say  c  Good-night ' 
to  him.  Then  I  will  go  to  bed. 


CHAPTER    V 


*  One  night,  one  night  .  .     aye  men  have  said  it,  maketh 
tame  a  woman  in  a  man's  arms.'  EURIPIDES. 

'  And  Zeus  gave  Psyche  to  Eros  to  be  his  wife  and  to 
follow  him  for  ever,  for  the  Soul  is  ever  one  with  Love.' 

Greek  Legend. 


darkness  of  the  night  had 
lifted  now  ;  there  was  a  faint 
radiance  that  came  down  and 
filled  all  spaces.  Dimly  the 
hills  appeared  that  held  the 
river,  and  far  off  the  moun- 
tains were  outlined  against  the  starlit  sky. 
The  voices  of  the  night  began  to  talk.  The 
river  drew  her  waters,  with  a  rustle  and  a  stir 
they  lapped  against  the  bank  ;  a  night  wind 
whispered  to  the  palms.  Then  there  were 
other  voices,  inarticulate,  yet  heard.  Whence 
come  the  voices  of  the  night  ?  Who  knows  ? 
Within  all  things  there  is  a  life  that  is  akin 
to  that  which  is  within  us.  The  World 
Father  lives  in  all  His  world,  and  there  is 
nothing  without  Him.  But  who  shall  ex- 
plain it  or  define  ?  The  deeper  things  of 
life  are  hidden  things  that  will  not  come  up 
to  no  words.  You  feel,  you  know,  but  no 
one  ever  tells. 

Therefore  the  seers  wrote  legend  and  wrote 
parable.     The  fool  hears  but  the  words,  but 

E 


66  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

he   whose    heart    is    opened    hears   the    echo 
underneath,  the  music  and  the  song  of  truth. 

Words  are  but  flesh.  Plain  words  might 
be  an  outrage,  sometimes  they  might  be  the 
deepest  of  untruths.  An  outer  likeness  may 
well  hold  an  inner  falsehood.  True  words 
are  those  which  stir  the  true  emotion  and  the 
heart.  Truth  is  an  inward  thing  ;  it  is  part  of 
the  Inward  Light  within  the  heart  that  makes 
us  glad.  To  say  all  and  say  nothing,  depen- 
dent on  the  hearer — that  is  the  perfect  truth. 

The  river  moved,  swaying  the  raft  in  a  long 
rhythm,  and  stilled  again. 

A  secret  presence  stole  into  my  senses — I 
looked  up.  Lesbia  was  there.  How  she  came 
there,  how  long  had  waited,  I  did  not  know. 
Perfectly  silently  she  stood,  touching  my  arm, 
her  dress  a  white  film  in  the  dark. 

I  rose  and  put  my  arms  about  her.  She 
made  no  resistance,  and  I  lifted  her  and  placed 
her  in  the  long  cane-chair  and  knelt  beside  her. 
For  a  moment  she  lay  quite  still,  then  as  if 
awaking  to  existence  she  half  sat  up  and  said  : 

'  I  only  came  to  say  "  Good-night." 

'The  night/  I  said,  'is  neither  yours  to 
give  nor  mine  to  take.  The  night  is  ours, 
yours  and  mine,  Lesbia.  It  cannot  be  divided.' 

'  I  am  so  tired,'  she  complained,  '  please  let 
me  go.' 

c  You  shall  not  go,'  I  said  ;  '  I  will  never  let 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  67 

you  go.  But  you  may  rest.  Lie  still  and  be 
content.' 

I  pressed  her  gently,  she  fell  back.  I  laid 
my  arm  beneath  her  head  for  cushion. 

'  Look  at  the  night,'  I  said.  '  The  stars  are 
eyes  that  watch  and  laugh.  They  always 
laugh,  for  they  know  more  than  we  do  and 
see  farther.' 

*  My  eyes  are  tired,'  said  Lesbia. 

c  Close  them,'  I  said,  '  and  listen.' 

£  I  am  all  tired,'  she  answered ;  '  I  cannot  talk. ' 

4  You  need  not  talk,  I  will  not  let  you  talk, 
but  you  must  listen.' 

'  To  what  ? ' 

'To  me.' 

4  What  will  you  tell  me  ? '  Her  eyes,  wide 
opened,  looked  straight  up  to  mine. 

'  A  fairy  tale.' 

Her  face  was  close  to  mine.  I  heard  her 
laugh.  '  As  if  I  were  a  child  and  you  were 
to  tell  me  tales  to  make  me  sleep  ? ' 

c  You  are,'  I  said,  '  a  child.' 

'  No,  no,'  she  said,  '  I  am  grown  up.' 

'  Those  whom  the  gods  love  never  grow  up,' 
I  answered.  c  They  keep  their  child's  desire 
for  truth  until  they  die.' 

c  I  want  to  sleep,'  she  said. 

'  My  tale  will  make  you  wake,'  I  answered. 
c  It  is  so  true,  so  true.' 

'  Are  fairy  stories  true  ? ' 

'  Nothing  could  be  more  true  than  they  are.' 


68  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

4  I  have  heard  them  all.' 

4  But  never  held  the  key.  Now  I  will  let  you 
into  a  new  world  where  you  have  never  come.' 

4  Is  that  world  beautiful  ? ' 

4  It  is  the  world  of  fairy,  the  most  beautiful 
there  is,  and  true.' 

She  closed  her  eyes,  she  moved  a  little 
nearer  me,  relaxed  in  self-abandonment. 

'Tell  me,'  she  murmured. 

4  Once  upon  a  time,'  I  said,  4  long,  long  ago, 
there  was  a  Princess.' 

4  Had  she  a  name  ? ' 

4  I  will  tell  you  her  name  later.  You  must 
not  interrupt,  nor  question  ;  no,  nor  think,  but 
listen.' 

She  lay  quite  still  in  acquiescence. 

4  She  was  all  beautiful.  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  beautiful  she  was.  Her  face,  her  form  were 
perfect,  like  a  dream  of  loveliness — in  snow.' 

She  made  a  movement  of  surprise.  4  In 
snow  ?  ' 

4  Hush  ! — Yes,  in  snow.  She  was  cold  as 
snow.  No  blood  moved  in  her  veins,  only  cold 
ichor  ;  in  her  eyes  there  was  no  fire,  no  warmth 
came  from  her,  for  her  heart  was  sealed.' 

'  Who  sealed  it  ? ' 

4  Lesbia,'  I  said,  4  didn't  I  tell  you  not  to  ask 
questions  ? ' 

4  A  child  asks  questions.  You  say  I  am  a 
child.  And  your  fairy  tale  interests  me.  Who 
sealed  her  heart  ?  ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  69 

'  It  was  born  sealed.  Therefore  she  never 
heard  it  nor  felt  it,  nor  knew  she  had  a  heart, 
full  of  hot  blood  that  some  day  would  be  loosed, 
to  course  through  all  her  veins  and  give  her  life.' 

'  Didnt  she  know  of  this  heart  ? ' 

*  No,'  I  said. 

'  Did  no  one  tell  her  ? ' 

c  No  one.  They  did  not  want  her  to  know. 
They  were  afraid  that  she  might  guess,  or  see. 
Therefore  they  kept  her  in  a  garden  quite  en- 
closed, and  more,  they  bandaged  her  eyes  to 
make  her  blind,  and  told  her  if  she  took  it  off 
that  she  would  see  the  devil  and  be  sure  to  end 
in  death.' 

'  Why  did  they  do  that  ? ' 

'  I  am  not  sure.' 

'  Was  it  right  to  do  so  ? ' 

'  I  am  a  man  and  cannot  tell.  She  was  a 
girl.' 

'  Go  on.' 

c  They  did  more  than  that.  They  told  her 
that  the  bandage  made  her  see  more  clearly 
than  if  her  eyes  were  free.  For  they  had 
painted  images  upon  the  inside  of  her  bandage 
and  told  her  they  were  real.' 

Silence. 

'  And  she  believed  it.  Then  came  a  Prince. 
He  wooed  the  Princess  and  he  won  her.  So 
he  took  her  with  him  out  of  her  garden. 
They  came  into  the  world  and  passed  into  a 
forest.  There  they  were  quite  alone. 


70  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

4  Take  off  your  bandage,'  said  the  Prince. 
'  Look  at  the  world  and  me.' 

'  I  am  afraid,'  she  sighed  ;  '  the  world  is  evil.' 

'  It  is  God's  world,'  the  Prince  replied.  c  He 
lives  in  it.' 

'  They  told  me  that  God  lived  in  Heaven, 
far  off,  not  here,'  she  answered. 

'  They  told  you  wrong  ;  open  and  you  will 
see.' 

'  I  will  not  look,'  she  said.    c  I  fear  the  devil.' 

'Your  beauty  is  all  cold,'  he  said,  'your 
heart  beats  not.' 

'  What  is  a  heart  ? '  she  asked. 

'  That  which  gives  life,'  he  answered  ;  '  my 
heart  beats  strongly  and  it  longs  for  answer. 
You  have  a  heart  as  strong  maybe  as  mine. 
But  it  is  sealed.  Will  you  not  let  me  loose 
it?' 

'  I  am  afraid,'  she  answered. 

But  the  Prince  replied.  '  How  can  we  live 
together  if  I  have  sight  and  you  are  blind — if 
I  am  warm  and  you  are  cold  ? ' 

'  It  is  your  fault,'  she  answered.  '  You 
should  be  like  me.  It  is  much  safer.' 

And  the  Prince  cried :  4  Who  cares  for 
safety  ?  The  only  safety  is  in  death.  But 
danger — that  is  love  and  life.  Let  me  give 
you  Life  and  Light,  Beloved  ! ' 

She  shuddered  and  she  would  not. 

'  I  will  bring  light  into  your  eyes.  I  will 
break  open  the  sealed  fountain  of  your  heart 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  71 

and  make  it  beat ;  bring  blushes  to  your  clear 
white  cheeks  and  warmth  into  your  bosom.' 

'  But  that  is  sin,'  she  sobbed.  c  I  will  keep 
my  whiteness  and  my  purity.  That  is  my 
beauty  ;  that  is  what  I  value  more  than  all 
things.  I  would  sooner  die  than  lose  it.' 
She  would  have  pushed  her  Prince  away. 

She  would  have  pushed  him  far  away,  for 
ever. 

I  felt  Lesbia  sigh  a  long-drawn  tremulous 
sigh  near  to  a  sob. 

'  What  did  her  Prince  do,  Lesbia  ? ' 

She  did  not  answer.  I  thought  I  felt  her 
arm  close  round  me,  drawing  me  more  near. 

'  What  should  that  Prince  do  ? ' 

I  put  my  lips  close  to  her  ear.  '  He  loves 
her.  What  should  that  Prince  do  ? ' 

Was  it  by  chance  or  just  some  touch  of  my 
imagination  that  her  cheek  for  a  moment 
brushed  against  my  lips  ? 

But  no  answer. 

'Then  I  will  tell  you  what  he  did.  He 
held  the  Princess  in  his  arms  all  despite  herself 
and  tore  the  bandage  from  her  eyes.' 

In  the  deep  silence,  I  could  hear  far  off  a 
stag  that  belled  up  to  the  night. 

A  silver  light  along  the  hills  was  herald  of 
the  moon. 

Her  whisper  was  so  low  it  hardly  reached 
my  ears. 


72  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  Did  she  let  him  do  it  ?  ' 

4  She  heard  his  voice  and  all  despite  herself 
she  let  him  do  his  will.' 

4  Did  it  hurt  her  much  ?  ' 

4 1  do  not  know,  Lesbia,  I  do  not  know. 
Perhaps  it  did.' 

4  But  if  he  loved  her,  why  did  he  hurt  her  ? ' 

4  Because  he  loved  her.' 

4  And  she,  why  did  she  let  him  do  it  ? ' 
4  Because  she  loved  him  and  because,  despite 
herself,  she  trusted  him.' 

4  What  did  she  see  ? ' 

'  She  saw  the  Prince.' 

'  And  did  she  know  him  ?  ' 

'  Not  at  first.  She  thought  he  was  the 
devil.  They  had  told  her  that  the  devil  was 
like  that.  She  cried.' 

4  How  did  she  learn  the  truth  ?  ' 

4  He  held  her  firmly,  so  that  she  should  not 
go.  Then  when  her  eyes  grew  stronger,  she 
could  see  he  was  her  husband.' 

Through  the  still  night  I  heard  a  sound. 
It  was  a  heart  that  beat.  Whose  heart  I  did 
not  know,  her  heart  or  mine,  one  heart.  It 
beat  so  loud  it  seemed  articulate  as  a  sob. 

Her  cheek  against  my  cheek  grew  warm 
and  soft,  and  when  I  kissed  her  lips  they  did 
not  say  me  nay. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  73 

At  last  she  whispered  :  c  What  was  the 
name  of  the  Princess  ?  ' 

'  Her  name  was  Eve,  was  Woman.  She 
was  also  called  The  Sleeping  Beauty  and 
Galatea  and  many  another  name — and  You.' 

'  And  his  name  ?  ' 

'  Adam  and  the  Prince,  Pygmalion  and 
Paris — and  I.' 

She  thought  and  thought. 

'  But  your  tale  is  not  the  same  as  the  old 
legend.  It  was  Eve  who  gave  man  the  fruit, 
saying  "  eat." 

'  So  does  she  now  and  ever.' 

c  No,  no  !     It  is  not  true.' 

I  laughed.  c  Yet  it  is  true.  You  give,  you 
offer.  The  ripple  of  your  hair,  your  cheeks, 
your  lips,  the  languor  of  your  eyes,  your  every 
movement  is  an  urgent  invitation.' 

'  But  not  intentional.' 

c  More  true  for  that.  For  it  is  the  Love 
eternal  that  calls,  through  finite  you,  will  you 
or  nill  you.  It  is  the  creative  passion  trem- 
bling in  your  veins,  that  which  has  built  and 
builds  the  world,  and  will  have  its  way  despite 
our  ignorance  and  negations.  Your  eyes  are 
shut  as  yet.  Its  eyes  are  open,  and  it  calls 
in  you.  Your  very  fragrance  intoxicates  and 
draws  me  as  the  clover's  does  the  bee.' 

'  I  cannot  help  it,'  she  said  pitifully. 

'  No,  fortunately.  Therefore  you  must 
submit  to  its  consequences.' 


74  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

No  answer. 

4  Will  you,  sweetheart  ? ' 

A  pause.  I  hardly  knew  if  it  were  the 
night  wind  or  a  ripple  on  the  stream  that 
answered  '  Yes.' 

Then  I  felt  on  my  lips  a  kiss,  warm  as  a 
sun-steeped  rose — there  was  a  stir,  a  rustle — 
and  I  was  alone. 

The  moon  had  risen.  Over  the  hills  there 
hung  a  silver  shield  half-shadowed  on  one  side. 

She  looked  upon  the  world,  wrapped  in  her 
mystery  ;  she  looked  on  hill,  on  field,  on  river, 
and  she  looked  on  me. 

The  moon  laughed  down  at  me,  but  I — I 
laughed  back  at  the  moon. 


ii 

I  hear  the  river  move  and  talk  beneath  my 
bed.  It  bubbles  through  the  logs  that  form 
the  raft,  and  sings  its  slumber  song.  It  falls, 
it  rises.  Sometimes  the  raft  swings  to  and 
fro  by  some  strange  impulse  from  the  waters 
that  has  no  explanation. 

I  hear  strange  night-birds  cry  far  off,  a  sad 
complaint  that  echoes  like  a  moan.  I  hear 
innumerable  things  I  never  heard  before.  My 
senses  seem  so  keen,  they  hurt.  I  hear  my 
heart  beat,  and  I  never  heard  it  beat  before. 

I  shiver  and  lie  cramped  upon  my  bed. 
My  flesh  creeps  and  my  skin  is  hot  and  cold. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  75 

There  seems  to  be  a  web  of  nerves  newborn 
that  tingles  everywhere  within  me,  and  I  am 
conscious  of  my  whole  self  as  I  have  never 
been  before. 

My  hands  crisp  and  my  feet  are  cold. 

This  must  be  fear.  Yes,  it  is  fear.  Nothing 
but  fear  could  make  me  as  I  am.  How  ter- 
rible it  is  to  be  afraid.  Why  does  the  world 
hold  things  that  make  one  fear  ?  Why  is  not 
life  just  calm  and  quiet  always  ?  Oh  that  I 
were  where  I  was  yesternight  ! 

Yet  is  it  fear  ? 

I  did  not  know  before  that  fear  could  be  so 
beautiful  a  thing. 

How  the  raft  creaks  ! 

Is  it  the  raft  ? 

My  ears  are  full  of  noises,  and  I  cannot 
hear  quite  clearly.  Let  me  hold  my  breath 
and  listen. 

It  is  the  curtain  rings  that  move. 

Ah  !      Heart  of  my  heart. 


in 

Again  I  was  without,  watching  the  night. 
My  eyes  were  watching  it,  but  in  my  desire  I 
was  with  Lesbia  there  within.  Was  she  asleep, 
or  did  she  wake  and  think  and  think  ?  What 
were  her  thoughts  ? 


76  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

Did  there  come  into  them,  as  into  mine, 
visions  of  things  unknown,  in  that  far  future 
we  had  made  our  own  this  night  ?  Did  any 
echo  come  from  out  the  void  of  that  which 
was  to  be  ? 

We  had  claimed  our  share  in  all  the  years 
to  come,  when  we  ourselves  had  passed  into 
the  sea.  Our  call  had  gone  ;  when  would 
the  answer  come,  and  who  the  answer  ? 

Did  it  sleep  now  upon  the  knees  of  God,  to 
waken  for  us  later  ? 

Only  the  Future  knew. 

The  moon  from  out  her  zenith  sloped  to- 
wards the  west,  false  dawn  woke  in  the  sky — 
and  died  ;  and  then  the  true  dawn  came.  Out 
of  the  darkness  mountains  showed  themselves, 
and  the  grey  river  grew  once  more  into  the 
sight. 

I  stood  upright  and  plunged  into  its  depths. 
The  cool,  fresh  waters  closed  about  me,  giving 
life.  I  rose  up  to  the  surface  and  I  swam 
against  the  current.  I  laughed.  I  tried  to 
leap  out  of  the  water  like  a  fish  for  very  joy. 
I  dived  again,  under  the  raft,  and  came  up  at 
the  other  side. 

Then  the  sun  rose. 

There  never  was  a  dawn  like  that  in  all  the 
world  before. 

As  I  crept  back  into  my  cabin,  I  drew  the 
curtain  slightly,  and  I  looked  at  Lesbia. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  77 

She  lay  upon  her  side  facing  towards  me. 
Her  hair  upon  the  pillow  made  a  warm  halo, 
and  one  arm  was  bare.  Her  form  lay  all 
relaxed  in  utmost  lassitude.  She  looked  so 
tired,  so  tired.  She  was  as  a  great  tropic  lily 
some  one  had  plucked  and  brought  into  his 
room,  all  for  his  pleasure,  careless  of  its  pain. 

My  heart  went  out  to  her  in  strong  com- 
passion. 

I  saw  her  eyelids  lift  a  little,  and  she  looked 
at  me.  A  mist  as  of  night-tears  still  lay  on 
them.  But  within  I  saw  the  mockery  had 
come  back. 

She  closed  them  quickly,  and  she  sighed. 
She  sighed  ?  she  laughed  ?  I  don't  know  which. 

I  felt  like  a  burglar  who  has  robbed  a 
church.  But  after  all  sometimes  a  burglary 
is  good — especially  of  a  church. 

I  dropped  the  curtain. 

Then  I  went  to  sleep,  and  slept  as  I  never 
slept  before. 


CHAPTER    VI 


'  Temples  not  made  with  hands.' 


VI 


T  is  three  o'clock,  and  we  are 
sitting  in  the  verandah  of 
our  salon  watching  the  river. 
We  have  sat  here  since  noon 
almost  in  silence,  our  chairs 
quite  close  together.  Some- 
times he  says  a  word,  a  phrase,  and  I  reply, 
or  only  smile,  and  then  we  fall  back  into  the 
silence  which  yet  has  beneath  its  surface  a 
close  communion. 

The  river  takes  us  on.  First  through  a 
long  defile  where  the  hills  rise  sheer  out  of 
the  water,  where  there  are  cliffs  and  precipices. 
There  is  a  grandeur  here,  a  stillness  and  a 
majesty  beyond  all  words.  It  is  as  if  the 
river  were  passing  through  some  secret  hour 
of  life,  that  which  makes  thoughts  that  it  will 
take  with  it  for  ever.  This  is  a  real  cathedral 
where  God  lives,  as  He  lives  everywhere  in 
life,  but  not  in  mortuaries  of  a  dead  Christ. 
There  is  a  rocky  islet  at  the  end,  whereon  a 
carven  monastery  stands,  with  shaven  monks 
for  guardians.  That  is  the  defile's  portal. 


82  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

And  the  gateway  passed,  the  river  flows  into 
a  broad  and  sunlit  valley,  where  there  are 
fields  and  flowers  and  villages. 

I  hear  a  sound  and  cannot  tell  what  it  may 
be  nor  whence  it  comes.  It  is  a  rhythmic 
beat,  strong  and  yet  hardly  audible,  as  of  a 
drum  far  heard  at  night.  It  grows. 

It  seems  to  come  from  out  the  very  water 
at  our  feet,  as  if  borne  up  from  the  depths, 
escaping  from  the  ripples  as  they  break  upon 
the  raft. 

Yet  the  river  is  quite  still  and  smooth,  save 
for  the  wavelets  that  a  little  breeze  makes 
dance  upon  the  surface.  I  can  see  nothing  to 
account  for  it. 

I  look  at  him  in  question. 

'  It  is  the  steamer,'  he  replies,  '  coming  from 
above.  She  is  still  in  the  defile  and  out  of 
sight — the  water  brings  the  sound.' 

'But  it  seems  in  the  water.' 

c  Yes,'  he  answers,  '  is  it  not  strange  ?  It 
seems  to  come  out  of  the  river  depths,  as  if 
some  ghostly  steamer  travelled  down  below 
there.' 

'  Like  that,'  I  say. 

'  I  have  often  heard  sounds  that  seemed  to 
come  out  of  the  river,  and  the  strangeness  never 
passes,'  he  says.  '  Once  it  was  even  terrible. 
It  was  long  ago,  and  I  was  on  a  frontier  where 
there  was  always  trouble,  the  only  English- 
man for  three  hundred  miles.  One  morning 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  83 

very  early  the  sentries  woke  me  and  said  that 
they  could  hear  firing.  I  went  out  and  listened, 
but  could  hear  nothing.  Then  the  subadar, 
a  worn  veteran  of  many  fights,  suggested  that 
we  should  go  and  listen  at  the  river.  So  we 
went  down  all  in  the  dark  and  laid  down  by 
the  river  and  listened.' 

'  You  cannot  tell  how  strange  it  was.  Out 
of  the  very  water  came  the  sounds  of  war. 
There  was  the  bang  of  muskets  that  the  wild 
tribes  use,  and  in  reply  the  crack  of  rifle- 
volleys.  They  were  quite  clear  and  loud.  It 
seemed  as  if  under  the  darkling  river  the 
devils  were  at  grips,  seeking  to  kill  each  other. 
One  looked  to  see  the  flashes  through  the 
water.  Yet  it  flowed  peacefully,  as  if  asleep.' 

c  What  was  it  all  ?  '  I  asked. 

4  Fourteen  miles  farther  down  a  post  of 
mine  was  being  attacked.  The  river  bore  the 
news.' 

For  some  reason  that  I  do  not  know  I  very 
much  dislike  to  hear  him  talk  of  his  past  life. 
I  think,  perhaps,  that  I  am  jealous  of  that 
life,  because  he  lived  before — before  yesterday. 
I  did  not  live.  I  can  see  now  that  what  I 
thought  was  life  was  but  existence.  Life  is 
love,  and  hate  and  fear,  and  hope  and  danger. 
Life  is  emotion,  and  my  life  is  but  begun.  It 
has  begun  in  him,  with  him,  not  as  my  life 
alone,  but  as  a  part  of  his.  Therefore  I  cannot 
bear  to  think  that  he  has  lived  before,  has 


84  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

fought  and  feared  and  hoped — perhaps  has 
loved. 

Cannot  he  put  it  all  away  and  begin  to-day 
in  a  new  life  that  has  no  antecedents  ?  a  life 
with  me  alone  ?  I  do  not  know.  I  must 
think  over  it.  Perhaps  it  is  impossible,  and 
I  must  make  the  best  of  it.  Meanwhile  I 
answer  nothing,  and  he  is  silent. 

And  presently  the  steamer  comes  into  view 
behind  us.  It  approaches  fast,  driving  the 
river  up  in  a  white  crest  before  it  and  making 
two  great  waves  on  either  side  like  wings  that 
stretch  in  to  the  shore.  It  overtakes  us,  pass- 
ing not  far  away.  We  can  see  the  English 
passengers  on  the  upper  saloon-deck  forward 
quite  clearly.  Two  of  them  are  our  friends 
of  yesterday,  Captain  Bruce  and  Mr.  Dicker. 
They  wave  to  us  vigorously,  and  young  Dicker 
has  managed  to  possess  himself  of  the  captain's 
megaphone,  which  he  holds  to  his  mouth  like 
a  huge  drinking-horn. 

'  Hurrah  !  '  he  calls  out  in  a  dreadful 
trumpet  voice. 

'  Hurrah  ! '  we  wave  back. 

4  Are  you  all  quite  comfy  ? '  he  demands. 

We  wave  an  acquiescence. 

'  Not  quarrelled  yet  ? ' 

We  shake  our  heads. 

'  It  would  have  been  cooler  on  a  submarine,' 
he  roars  ;  then  adds :  c  There  's  such  a  jolly 
row  downstairs,'  and  chokes  with  laughter 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  85 

that  gurgles  out  of  the  megaphone  like  absurd 
thunder. 

Just  then  the  captain  seizes  him  and  deprives 
him  of  the  megaphone  and  calls  out  : — 

« 1  say,  Gallic  !  ' 

My  husband  waves. 

'  There 's  an  old  lady  on  our  after  deck 
swears  that  one  of  your  servants,  Po  Ka,  has 
eloped  with  her  daughter.' 

My  husband  jumps  up,  surprised. 

'  I  expect  the  girl 's  aft  there  on  your  raft. 
The  old  lady  intends  to  board  you  at  Katha 
and  reclaim  her  daughter.  She  's  furious — so 
look  out.' 

The  steamer  goes  on  out  of  earshot.  I  am 
horrified.  But  he  ?  He,  I  am  sorry  to  see,  is 
back  in  his  chair  laughing.  He  is  bursting 
with  laughter,  and  the  more  reprovingly  I 
look  at  him  the  more  he  laughs. 

That  is  just  like  a  man  ;  not  one  of  them 
has  any  morals.  I  love  him,  yes.  But  he 
wants  a  great  deal  of  reforming. 

'  I  think  it  is  a  very  sad  thing,'  I  say. 
c  Did  you  know  she  was  on  board  ? ' 

'  Certainly  not,'  he  answers. 

'  Don't  you  know  anything  about  it  ? ' 

'  I  know  exactly  what  you  do.' 

'  But  Po  Ka  is  your  servant.  You  must  do 
something.'  I  want  to  make  him  realise  his 
responsibility  and  be  serious. 

'  Not  at  all,'  he  answers. 


86  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

I  stare  at  him.  '  What  do  you  mean  ? 
Something  must  be  done  about  it.' 

'  Certainly,'  he  answers  calmly.  '  You  are 
mistress  of  this  raft.  It  is  you  who  are  re- 
sponsible. Such  matters  entirely  appertain  to 
the  mistress's  side  of  the  combination.' 

That  is  just  hateful  of  him.  He  is  trying 
to  tease  me. 

'  I  haven't  taken  over  yet,'  I  say  with  dignity. 
4  As  you  told  me  yesterday,  I  still  only  have 
privileges,  not  duties.' 

'  Well,'  he  answers,  '  this  is  one  of  the 
privileges.' 

I  do  not  see  myself  where  the  privilege 
comes  in.  It  seems  to  me  a  sad  business,  and 
very  unpleasant  to  have  happened.  I  am  not 
accustomed  to  such  cases,  besides  Po  Ka  is  his 
servant.  I  tell  him  so. 

'  Oh,'  he  answers,  c  I  am  not  thinking  so 
much  of  Po  Ka.  I  am  thinking  of  the  girl 
and  her  mother.  Evidently  the  girl  wants  to 
be  with  Po  Ka  ;  equally,  evidently,  the  mother 
does  not  want  her  to  be  so.  Where  two 
women  are  at  loggerheads,  only  a  woman  can 
intervene  with  success.  It  is  purely  your 
business,  Lesbia.  Why,  they  would  scratch 
my  eyes  out  between  them.' 

c  I  believe,'  I  say  scathingly,  *  that  you  are 
afraid.' 

'You  believe  just  about  right,'  he  replies, 
chuckling  to  himself. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  87 

'  I  thought  men  never  admitted  to  be  afraid 
of  anything,'  I  say. 

'You  have  queer  ideas  of  men,  my  dear,'  he 
answers,  opening  his  eyes.  c  Wild  tribes,  in- 
surrections, dangers  by  flood  and  field,  leopards 
and  wild  cats,  I,  like  most  men,  am  ready  to 
face  in  due  season.  But  earthquakes,  vol- 
canoes, and  a  woman  deprived  either  of  her 
daughter  or  her  lover,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  be 
afraid  of.  They  aren't  my  line.' 

'  And  they  are  mine  ? ' 

'  Are  they  not,  Lesbia  mia  ? '  he  says  coax- 
ingly.  c  Have  you  not  the  woman's  sympathy, 
the  woman's  understanding,  and  the  woman's 
tact  ?  Think  of  that  poor  child  there — she 
is,  I  expect,  only  a  young  girl — behind  us  on 
the  raft,  torn  between  her  mother  and  her 
husband.  Who  should  not  help  her  but 
you  ? ' 

His  altered  tone  affects  me.  He  shows 
real  sympathy,  and  all  his  mirth  is  gone.  It 
seems  quite  different  as  he  now  puts  it. 

'  Then  they  are  married  ?  '  I  ask  doubtfully. 

For  a  moment  I  seem  to  see  a  gleam  in  his 
eye  as  of  his  sarcasm  back  again.  Then  he 
answers. 

'  Naturally.' 

I  feel  very  much  relieved.  There  is  then 
no  real  impropriety,  though  it  is  sad  she  should 
have  married  without  her  mother's  consent. 

'  I  did  not  know  it  was  natural  to  get  married 


88  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

before  you  ran  away  with  a  girl,'  I  say.  '  I 
feared  it  was  the  other  way.  But  it  makes 
things  much  easier.  What  shall  I  do  ? ' 

'  Wait  here,'  he  says.  ' 1  will  go  aft  and 
see  Po  Ka  and  Po  Chon,  and  hear  their  side. 
Then  I  will  send  the  girl  to  you  in  the  salon 
and  you  can  talk  to  her.' 

'  But  who  will  interpret  ? ' 

'  Your  ayah  can  interpret.' 

'  Won't  you  come  too  ? '  I  ask.  I  would 
rather  he  be  present.  It  is  so  strange  to  me 
yet.  Only  yesterday  I  was  a  girl,  and  all 
things  were  kept  from  me.  Now  I  am  sup- 
posed to  help  to  regulate  the  world.  '  Won't 
you  be  present  too  ? ' 

He  shakes  his  head.  '  She  would  not  talk 
if  I  were  present  as  she  will  to  you.  If  things 
are  to  be  put  straight,  you  must  find  out  not 
only  the  mere  facts  but  the  things  that  lie 
beneath.  You  must  estimate  the  forces  we 
have  to  deal  with.' 

I  looked  at  him  in  surprise.    '  What  forces?' 

'  My  dear,'  he  answers,  '  what  forces  move 
the  world  ?  There  is  but  one — love  and  its 
shadow,  hate.  Does  she  love  Po  Ka  most,  or 
does  she  love  her  mother  ?  Which  is  the 
greater  love  ?  Does  Po  Ka  love  her  ?  He 
is,  I  know,  capable  of  very  sincere  and  perfect 
love.  Sometime  I  will  tell  you  the  story. 
Has  this  girl  won  it  ?  What  sort  of  a  girl  is 
she  ?  Could  she  keep  it  ?  ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  89 

c  But,'  I  say,  '  if  they  are  married^  it  is  too 
late  to  think  of  all  that.' 

He  smiles.  '  Never  mind  that  now.  Will 
you  do  that  ?  You  must  do  it  now,  for  by 
dark  we  shall  be  at  Katha,  and  the  mother  be 
on  board.' 

I  do  not  want  to.  Oh  I  do  not  want  to. 
Yet  I  must.  I  say  '  I  will.' 

He  goes  back  to  the  salon  and  I  am  left 
alone.  I  have  not  been  alone,  not  since — so 
long  ago. 

'  So  there  were  two  of  us  last  night.' 

After  half  an  hour  he  comes  back.  He 
looks  serious. 

4  Lesbia,'  he  says,  as  he  sits  down,  '  I  am 
afraid  that  we  shall  have  trouble,  all  of  us.' 

'  Tell  me  about  it.' 

'  Let  me  tell  you  first  about  Po  Ka.  He 
has  been  with  me  as  you  know  about  twelve 
years.  When  I  first  took  him  he  was  only 
nineteen,  such  a  nice  boy,  and  with  a  charm- 
ing little  wife  he  had  married  not  long 
before.' 

4  Married  already  ? '  I  ask. 

'  Sometimes  they  marry  early,'  he  replies. 
c  Po  Ka  and  his  wife  were  quite  devoted  to 
each  other.  They  lived  just  for  each  other. 
Yet  he  was  a  good  servant  too.  Well,  about 
six  months  later  I  went  on  tour.  I  knew 


9o  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

that  Po  Ka's  wife  expected  soon  to  have  a 
baby,  and  I  thought  the  elder  brother  would 
come  out  with  me.  I  always  left  it  to  them 
to  decide  who  came.  But  no,  it  was  Po  Ka 
who  came.  We  made  three  marches  into  the 
district,  and  then  I  camped  some  thirty-five 
miles  from  headquarters.  Four  or  five  days 
later,  in  the  evening,  a  messenger  came  to  Po 
Ka  to  tell  him  his  wife  was  very  ill.  He 
came  to  me  in  great  distress  and  I  let  him  go 
at  once.  He  walked  that  five-and-thirty  miles 
during  the  night  and  came  at  dawn  near  to  his 
home.  He  met  the  boys  leading  the  cattle 
out,  and  one  told  him  that  his  wife  was  dead. 
He  sat  down  where  he  was,  quite  dazed. 
Villagers  found  him  and  took  him  to  his 
brother  Po  Chon,  who  cared  for  him.  For 
the  best  part  of  a  year  he  was  distraught. 
He  used  to  sit  beside  his  brother's  house 
and  stare  all  day  into  the  distance,  vacant 
and  senseless.  If  I  spoke  to  him,  he  did  not 
answer.  Then  he  recovered  slowly.  Such  is 
Po  Ka.' 

'  I  think  that  he  can  love,'  I  say. 

'  Now  he  has  fallen  in  love  again.  The 
girl  is  pretty,  and  Po  Chon  tells  me  that  she 
adores  Po  Ka.  But  she  is  the  only  child  of 
her  mother,  who  is  a  widow,  and  her  mother 
would  not  give  her  to  Po  Ka  because  Po  Ka 
follows  me  and  the  daughter  would  be  lost 
to  her.  So  the  girl  ran  away  and  hid  herself 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  91 

in  the  servants'  quarters  yesterday  before  we 
started.  And  she  was  only  discovered  just 
before  sunset.' 

'  They  should  have  told  you  then,'  I  say. 
'  They  should  have  brought  her  to  you.  They 
are  not  married  properly.' 

He  smiles  and  strokes  my  hand.  '  Sweet- 
heart,' he  answers,  '  that  is  the  sort  of  answer 
you  might  have  given  yesterday.  To-day, 
surely,  you  know  more  than  that.  Is  there 
a  man  in  all  the  world  who  would  give  up  a 
girl  who  came  to  him  like  that  ?  For  all 
men's  honour,  I  hope  not  one.  And  as  for 
marriage — '  and  he  looks  at  me. 

It  makes  me  hot  and  cold,  but  yes,  I  under- 
stand. For  I  have  seen  a  little  way  into  men's 
hearts  and  women's,  into  my  own.  I  only  press 
his  hand  in  answer. 

4  She  waits  in  the  salon  for  you,'  he  says. 
4  Lesbia,  be  kind,  be  kind.' 

I  raise  my  eyes  in  mute  reproach  to  his.  I 
know,  I  know.  Then  I  rise  up  and  go  inside. 
After  the  flood  of  light  outside,  I  hardly  see  at 
first,  it  is  so  dark  within. 

Then  slowly  out  of  the  gloom  a  figure 
gathers  form,  a  girl's  slight  figure,  with  a  girl's 
round  face.  Her  great  black  eyes  are  full  of 
tears  and  when  she  looks  at  me  I  see  she  is 
afraid. 

Afraid  of  me ! 

Despite     our     different     nationality,     our 


92  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

different  civilisation,  I  feel  to  her  as  I  have 
never  felt  to  any  woman  before,  as  I  could  not 
have  felt  even  yesterday.  We  both  have  entered 
into  that  universal  womanhood  that  makes  us 
one. 


CHAPTER    VII 


*  What  is  nobler  than  a  woman  if  she  have  purity?' 
'  Purity  is  spotlessness  of  mind  ;  all  else  is  noise.' 
'  To  her  that  is  pure  all  that  God  has  ordained  for  the 
progress  of  the  world  is  pure.'  Kural. 


VII 

;O  Lesbia  went  in  to  see  the 
runaway  and  I  sat  down  and 
waited.  I  heard  their  voices 
coming  through  the  wall, 
Lesbia's,  the  ayah's  interpret- 
ing, the  girl's.  What  did 
they  say  each  to  the  other,  the  one  a  product 
of  a  civilisation  made  up  of  catchwords  and 
dead  prejudices,  a  civilisation  that  has  passed 
its  zenith,  a  girl  laid  over  thick  with  artificiali- 
ties, hardly  conscious  yet  of  the  real  woman 
below  ;  the  other  born  and  brought  up  in  the 
simple  freedom  of  the  village,  half-civilised, 
for  whom  culture  and  art  and  education  did 
not  exist  ;  therefore  with  clearer  eyes  may- 
be to  see  the  verities  of  life  ;  the  East  and 
West — what  did  they  say  ? 

It  seemed  to  me  an  age  since  yesterday. 
Was  it  only  yesterday  I  married  with  a  light 
heart,  anticipating  only  pleasure  and  happiness. 
The  pleasure  and  happiness  was  come  indeed 
full  measure,  but  with  them  many  other  things. 
Marriage  seemed  easy,  simple.  In  the  old 


96  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

novels  all  the  trouble  comes  before  marriage. 
When  they  are  married  '  they  live  happily 
ever  after.'  Such  is  the  fiction.  Fact  told 
me  it  was  not  so.  I  found  marriage  complex, 
full  of  unknown,  undreamt-of  dangers  and 
difficulties  for  us  both. 

We  loved  each  other,  true,  but  that  love, 
that  strong  attraction  of  sex  unto  sex,  which 
draws  a  man  and  woman  first  together,  quite 
despite  themselves,  is  nature's  way,  her  sure 
and  certain  way,  of  getting  intelligent  children 
for  her  future.  Emotion,  which  is  intelligence, 
in  children  is  born  of  a  mutual  strong  emotion 
in  the  parents.  Nature  selects  in  her  own  way 
for  her  own  purpose. 

She  cares  for  nothing  in  comparison  with 
that.  Husband  and  wife  may  rise  from  sexual 
love  to  spiritual  love  which  is  understanding, 
may  live  in  sympathy  or  misery,  it  is  nothing 
at  all  to  her.  Happiness  in  marriage  is  not 
given  by  nature,  who  lays  but  the  foundation  ; 
it  must  be  built  up  by  the  man  and  woman,  by 
mutual  constant  effort  at  understanding.  Theirs 
is  the  fault,  not  nature's,  if  they  cannot  live 
together  in  mutual  happiness. 

I  knew  this  all  in  theory  long  ago.  I 
deemed  the  practice  would  be  simple.  I 
thought  that  yesterday.  To-day,  though  one 
great  danger  had  been  passed,  I  saw  innumer- 
able rocks  ahead  already.  How  should  one 
steer  ? 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  97 

The  basket  with  the  puppies  was  in  a  corner 
of  the  verandah.  There  Lady  lay  on  guard, 
that  no  one  except  those  she  approved  came 
near  them.  Myself,  Po  Chon,  Po  Ka — these 
were  the  favoured  few.  Lesbia  was  still  re- 
garded with  strong  doubt  and  everybody  else 
was  growled  at. 

The  father  Spot  was  entirely  forbid  the 
nursery.  If  he  but  approached  to  say  '  Good- 
morning,'  bristles  went  up  and  teeth  were 
shown.  Poor  Spot,  a  milder-mannered  father 
never  lived,  but  he  was  not  allowed  even  to 
see  his  family. 

Lady  stood  up  and  yawned.  She  stretched 
herself,  wanted  some  exercise,  a  change, 
wondered  if  Po  Ka  forgave  her  for  her  attitude 
of  yesterday.  She  looked  about.  Everything 
seemed  quite  calm.  She  thought  that  she  would 
take  a  stroll  down  to  the  end  of  the  raft. 

First  she  came  over  to  me  and  wagged  her 
tail  and  looked  up  questioningly.  '  Will  you 
look  after  the  family  while  I  'm  away  ? '  she  asked. 

I  nodded.    She  licked  my  hand  and  trotted  off. 

Presently  Spot  appeared.  He  came  into  the 
verandah,  noticed  that  Lady  was  not  there,  and 
thought  the  opportunity  good  to  see  this 
vaunted  family.  So  he  went  over  to  the 
basket  and  peered  in.  He  cocked  his  ears  and 
wrinkled  up  his  face  in  consideration.  Two 
boys,  two  girls.  Were  the  boys  like  him  ? 
Had  they  his  fighting  instinct  ?  Would  they 

G  * 


98  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

be  a  credit  to  him  when  he  took  their  educa- 
tion in  hand  ?  Perhaps  he  could  tell  better  by 
the  smell,  so  he  leant  over  and  sniffed  at  them 
one  after  the  other — then  with  a  startled  yap 
he  fled.  For  Lady  had  returned  suddenly  and 
rushed  upon  him  in  a  perfect  hurricane  of  rage 
at  his  invasion  of  the  sacred  place. 

She  was  much  agitated.  c  What  has  your 
father  been  doing  to  you  ? '  she  whined,  as  she 
turned  them  all  over  and  examined  them  from 
stem  to  stern.  '  Has  he  frightened  you,  my 
babes  ?  has  he  bitten  you  ?  '  Then  realising 
slowly  that  no  harm  was  done,  her  heat  sub- 
sided and  repentance  came.  Why  had  she 
lost  her  temper  ?  Why  had  she  rushed  and 
snarled  and  snapped  at  him  ?  Wasn't  he  their 
father  after  all,  and  a  fond,  indulgent  father  too  ? 
Yes  she  had  been  hasty.  She  glanced  up  to 
the  bows  where  Spot  sat  in  silent  dignity. 
His  fat  round  back  was  stiff  with  a  mute  re- 
proach, with  wounded  dignity.  She  repented 
freely  and  fully.  She  ran  up  to  the  bows. 
Spot  heard,  for  his  ears  went  up,  but  he  took 
no  notice.  Then  she  set  herself  to  calm  the 
storm.  With  her  white  teeth  she  combed 
that  fat  indignant  back.  With  ardent  solici- 
tude she  smoothed  away  its  stiffness  and  dis- 
solved its  anger.  Visibly  Spot  unbent,  and  a 
minute  later  they  sat  leaning  against  each  other, 
in  friendliest  companionship.  That  was  a 
happy  marriage,  Spot  and  Lady.  He 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  99 

championed  her  abroad,  protecting  her  from 
village  dogs  and  other  dangers,  and  in  so  doing 
had  reaped  full  many  a  scar  and  nearly  met  his 
death.  She  petted  him  at  home.  They 
quarrelled  often,  both  being  hot-tempered,  but 
the  quarrels  never  lasted  long.  One  or  the 
other  repented  and  apologised,  and  the  apology 
was  always  accepted  in  the  frankest  spirit. 
That  is  the  secret  of  a  happy  marriage. 

4  Does  the  Thakin  want  tea  ? ' 

It  was  Po  Chon,  his  forehead  wrinkled  with 
anxiety. 

4  They  are  within.'  I  answered  his  unspoken 
question.  4  I  don't  know  what  they  are  saying.' 

He  stared  out  into  the  distance.  '  It  is 
women  who  bring  all  the  trouble,'  he  said. 

4  And  all  the  pleasure.' 

4  Yes,'  he  assented.  *  I  don't  know  which 
is  the  most.' 

4  You  cannot  separate  them,'  I  replied. 
4  They  go  together  and  make  life.' 

He  nodded.  That  philosophy  appealed  to 
him,  in  fact  was  of  his  people. 

4  Po  Chon,'  I  said,  4  how  long  have  we  been 
together  ?  ' 

He  counted  in  his  mind.     4  Fourteen  years.' 

4  It  is  a  long  time,'  I  answered.  4  And 
though  we  quarrel  now  and  then  we  always 
make  it  up.' 

4 1  have  an  affection  for  the  Thakin,'  he  said. 


ioo  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  And  I  for  both  of  you,'  I  answered  ;  '  and 
yesterday  I  never  supposed  but  that  we  should 
be  together  till  I  retired.  Now  to-day  I  have 
my  doubts.' 

He  looked  at  me  comprehendingly  and 
nodded.  It  did  not  need  any  words  to  tell 
him  why. 

'  Directly  the  Thakin  told  me  he  would  be 
married  I  reared.  A  Thakinma  wishes  to  be 
the  director  of  the  household.' 

'  Is  it  not  her  right  ? ' 

'  It  is  her  right,  but  it  will  be  hard  for  us 
and  for  the  Thakin.' 

'  And  for  her  too.' 

'  Why  for  the  Thakinma  ? ' 

'  For  her,  because  you,  Po  Chon  and  Po  Ka, 
have  always  counted  me  first.  You  will  always 
count  me  first,  but  that  she  will  find  hard 
to  bear.  It  will  be  hard  for  you,  because  it  is 
very  hard  for  a  man  to  serve  a  woman.  Women 
are  hard.  They  have  not  consideration,  as 
a  man  has.  They  want  their  exact  service. 
There  is  never  any  give  and  take  about  women. 
They  always  deal  in  the  absolute.  It  will  be 
hard  for  me,  because  to  see  difficulties  in  my 
household  I  cannot  mend,  to  run  the  risk  of 
your  leaving  me  will  be  hard.' 

'  We  will  do  what  we  can,'  he  said. 

'  I  am  sure  you  will,  and  let  us  hope  for  the 
best.  Do  not  come  to  me  for  orders  openly, 
go  to  her.  Do  not  bring  tea  without  her 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  101 

orders.  Treat  her  as  mistress.  If  you  want 
to  come  to  me,  come  secretly,  when  she  does 
not  know.' 

He  nodded. 

'  And  tell  Po  Ka.' 

c  Yes,  I  will  tell  Po  Ka.  And  now  the 
Thakin's  tea-time  is  past,  and  I  know  he 
wants  his  tea.  May  I  not  bring  it  ?  ' 

I  shook  my  head.      '  Not  till  she  rings.' 

c  And  about  Po  Ka  and  the  girl  ?  ' 

'  I  will  tell  you  later.  We  will  not  reach 
Katha  till  six.' 

He  went  away. 

And  within  the  salon  the  talk  went  on. 
Two  women  were  trying  to  understand  each 
other — through  a  third. 

There  was  the  rustle  of  a  dress  and  Lesbia 
came  out.  I  looked  at  her  and  smiled.  Her 
countenance  was  troubled  and  her  cheeks  were 
pale. 

c  My  dear,'  I  said,  'you  want  your  tea.' 

c  Have  you  had  yours  ? ' 

'  And  did  you  order  it  ?  ' 

She  looked  surprised.  '  You  don't  want  me 
to  order  tea  for  you.' 

'  I  do.  You  are  the  mistress.  If  you  don't 
give  me  tea,  how  can  I  get  it  ? ' 

She  stared,  and  then  a  sudden  flush  came 
over  her.  '  You  are  a  goose,'  she  said,  ruffling 
my  hair.  £  Ring  the  gong.' 


102  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

I  rung.  When  Po  Chon  came,  he  looked 
at  her,  not  me.  '  What  is  the  word  ? '  she 
asked  me. 

'  He  knows  English  enough  for  that,'  I 
answered. 

'  Bring  tea,'  she  said. 

He  went  away  and  presently  returned  with 
tea. 

Not  till  the  tea  was  finished  did  I  ask  : 

'  Well,  did  she  tell  you  ? ' 

Lesbia  frowned.  '  She  told  me,  but  I  am 
not  sure  I  understood.' 

'  What  didn't  you  understand  ? ' 

She  thought  a  moment. 

c  You  said  that  they  were  married  ? ' 

'  Well  ? ' 

'  I  asked  her  if  they  had  gone  through  any 
ceremony  of  marriage,  and  she  said  No.' 

'  Marriage,'  I  answered,  '  is  not  a  ceremony, 
but  a  fact.' 

4  Out  here,  perhaps,  where  everything  is 
rude  and  rough.' 

'  Everywhere  in  the  world,'  I  answered. 
'  The  ceremony  is  but  a  form  preliminary  to 
a  fact.  In  itself  it  is  nothing.' 

'  Nothing  ? '     She  stared. 

'  Nothing,'  I  answered.  c  It  is  an  attempt 
of  churches  to  impose  their  yoke  on  people. 
Do  you  suppose  no  one  was  ever  married  in 
Europe  till  three  hundred  years  ago,  when  the 
churches  first  invented  their  ceremony  ?  Do 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  103 

you  suppose  now  it  has  any  real  value  ?  Sup- 
pose you  and  I  had  separated  yesterday,  would 
we  have  been  husband  and  wife  ? ' 

c  In  law,'  she  urged. 

'  Law,  where  it  does  not  cover  a  fact,  is 
the  worst  of  fictions.  But  not  even  in  foolish 
law  would  we  have  been  completely  married. 
Marriage  is  a  fact,  and  these  people  lay  more 
stress  on  fact  than  fiction.  It  is  a  fact  that 
Po  Ka  and  the  girl  are  married.  Do  you 
doubt  it  ?  ' 

She  shook  her  head  and  blushed. 

1 1  did  not  understand,'  she  murmured. 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  '  try  to  look  upon  the  facts 
of  life,  to  understand  its  truth.  Marriage  be- 
tween a  man  and  a  woman  is  a  fact  and  a 
continuing  relationship.  He  took  her  as  his 
wife  and  she  him  as  husband  ;  they  are  one 
flesh.  That  is  a  truth  all  the  world  over. 
Love,  which  is  God,  has  joined  them.  Cere- 
monies and  laws  which  deny  a  truth  are  wicked 
and  harmful.  They  may  be  useful  as  the  outer 
sign  of  an  inward  truth,  they  are  never  true 
in  themselves  ;  when  they  deny  a  truth  they 
are  themselves  a  falsehood.  In  fact  Po  Ka 
and  the  girl  are  married.  In  law  out  here, 
among  these  people,  they  are  also  married  ex- 
cept for  one  detail.  The  girl  is  under  eighteen, 
and  her  mother's  leave  was  not  obtained. 
Therefore  her  mother  can  claim  back  the  girl 
if  she  like.  Otherwise,  the  marriage  is  valid.' 


104  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

e  How  can  she  claim  her  back  ? '  said  Lesbia. 
'  Isn't  she  ruined  now  ?  Would  any  one  speak 
to  her  after  what  has  happened  if  she  went 
back  ? ' 

'  My  dear,'  I  answered,  '  these  people  are 
not  Pharisees.  They  are  not  whited  sepul- 
chres, but  human  beings.  They  would  deplore 
the  accident,  but  they  know  human  nature. 
They  would  not  cast  stones.  They  do  not 
judge,  they  comprehend.' 

4  They  would  accept  her  as  before  ? ' 

'  Not  quite,  for  she  has  had  an  accident. 
But  accidents  are  not  sins  ;  they  would  not 
blame  her,  but  be  sorry  for  her.' 

'  And  would  another  marry  her  ? ' 

c  If  he  was  sure  she  had  forgotten  Po  Ka, 
and  loved  him.  Why  should  he  not  ? ' 

Lesbia  sat  stunned. 

'  Marriage  is  a  vow  made  before  God,'  she 
murmured  reverently. 

'  Priests  are  not  God,'  I  answered,  '  although 
they  try  to  make  you  think  so.  Neither  does 
God  live  in  a  church.' 

4  Where  does  He  live  ? ' 

4  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven,'  I  answered,  '  is 
within  you.' 

She  shook  her  head.    '  I  do  not  understand.' 

4  The  God  that  makes  us  one  is  Love,  Lesbia,' 
I  cried,  '  and  the  God  to  whom  you  make  pro- 
mises is  your  conscience.  Don't  you  see  and 
know  that  God  lives  in  the  world,  in  you,  in 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  105 

me,  in  everything  ?  The  world  is  all  the 
garment  of  God.  He  does  not  live  without. 
He  has  no  priests.  He  Himself  lives  in  us  if 
we  would  only  see  Him.' 

She  put  her  face  down  between  her  hands. 
So  she  sat  silently,  and  then  she  rose  and  went 
in  to  her  bedroom.  Poor  child  !  she  was  be- 
wildered, bouleversee.  I  wondered  had  I  done 
right  to  open  her  eyes  so  quickly.  I  did  not 
follow.  I  know  that  there  are  times  when 
solitude  is  the  only  help,  to  be  alone  and  still, 
to  lie  and  listen  till  the  inward  voice  is  heard. 

The  raft  went  on.  The  evening  shadows 
came  upon  the  hills.  And  we  drew  near  our 
halting-place. 

Below  that  farther  point  there  lay  the 
station  of  Katha  and  the  mother  waiting  for 
the  girl. 

The  raft  moved  on,  and  Lesbia  did  not  come. 

The  point  was  rounded  and  we  saw  the 
buildings  of  the  station,  the  village  clustered 
just  below,  the  steamer  at  her  flat.  I  rang 
the  gong.  And  to  Po  Chon  I  gave  this 
order. 

c  Po  Chon,  when  we  come  to  anchor  and 
the  mother  comes,  give  the  girl  to  her.  But 
say  that  at  ten  o'clock  to-night  they  must 
come  back,  she  and  the  girl,  and  we  will  talk 
the  matter  out.  Do  you  understand  ? ' 


io6  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

He  understood. 

*  What  will  be  done  ? '  he  asked. 

'  I  do  not  know.' 

'  Po  Ka  is  in  despair  and  the  girl  also. 
They  sit  and  hold  each  other's  hands. 

'  And  the  girl's  mother  is  crying  there  upon 
the  shore.  I  see  her.  Well,  we  must  see  what 
is  the  best.  Meanwhile,  do  as  I  say.' 

He  went  away,  and  the  crew  began  to  row 
the  raft  in  to  the  shore. 


CHAPTER    VIII 


'  A  woman  in  ten  thousand  have  I  not  found.' 

Ecclesiaites. 


VIII 

JIP,    hip,    hurrah  !      Hip,    hip, 
hurrah  !  '      That    is    what    I 
hear  from  the  bank.      Some 
one  is  cheering  us.     And  as 
soon  as  we  are  moored,  I  hear 
them  come  on  board  and  greet 
my  husband.     There  is  a  great  talking  on  the 
forward  deck,  and  then  he  comes  to  me. 
'  May  I  come  in  ?  '  he  asks. 
c  Come  in,'  I  say.     I  am  lying  on  my  bed 
trying    to    arrange  my  ideas,  which  seem  in 
chaos,  all  the  new  ones  fighting  with  the  old 
ones,  till  I  don't  know  where  I  stand. 
He  comes  in  beside  me. 
4  Tired,  my  dear  ? '  he  asks. 
4  No,'  I  say  doubtfully.    '  Not  tired  exactly, 
but  confused.' 

'  Well,  you  must  get  up  and  have  a  run 
ashore  to  clear  your  little  head '  ;  and  he 
strokes  my  hair.  c  All  the  men  have  come 
down  to  meet  us,  five  of  them,  and  want  us  to 
drive  round  the  station  first,  then  go  to  the 
club  and  then  dine  with  them.' 


no  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  Oh  dear,'  I  say,  sitting  up,  '  must  we 
go?' 

For  indeed,  indeed  I  don't  want  to  go.  I 
want  to  keep  quiet,  to  hide  for  a  time  yet. 
I  can't  face  a  lot  of  men,  all  of  whom  know 
we  were  married  yesterday.  If  there  was  a 
woman,  I  would  not  so  much  mind,  as  she 
would  stand  by  me,  but  there  is  none  here  I 
know.  And  men  are  dreadful,  with  what 
they  call  their  humour,  which  is  quite  nice 
at  the  right  time,  but  at  the  wrong 

He  looks  at  me  and  laughs.  '  Cheer  up,' 
he  says.  '  They  are  excellent  fellows,  all  of 
them,  and  will  do  you  no  harm.  Why  that 
set  face  ?  We  are  not  going  to  storm  a 
battery  or  do  any  desperate  deed.  Probably 
we  shall  survive  it,  Lesbia  mia.' 

He  knows  quite  well.  I  see  it  in  his  face, 
and  he  is  mocking  me.  I  could  bite  him. 
Have  men  no  sensitiveness  in  their  coarse 
natures  ? 

'  What  is  the  matter  ? '  he  whispers  in  my 
ear. 

'  Oh  never  mind,'  I  say  hastily.  4 1  have 
got  to  dress.  Can  your  friends  wait  ?  ' 

'  Certainly  they  can  !  '  he  says,  '  but  hurry 
up,'  and  goes  away. 

When  I  am  ready,  I  go  to  the  door  and 
pause.  I  hear  them  talking,  laughing,  and 
joking  outside  the  salon.  How  can  I  face 
them  ?  I  did  not  know  before  how  brave  a 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  in 

girl  must  be  to  get  married.  I  feel  as  if  I 
would  sooner  sink  through  the  raft  than  go  on. 
But  the  raft  holds  firm  beneath  my  feet.  It 
is  my  knees  that  tremble.  With  a  great  effort, 
I  open  the  door  and  go  out. 

Immediately  a  tall,  handsome  man  comes 
forward,  shakes  hands,  and  makes  a  little 
speech. 

'  We  have  no  English  lady  here,'  he  says, 
'  and  have  not  seen  one  for  nearly  a  year. 
We  never  saw  a  bride  here  before,  and  Gallio 
is  an  old  friend  of  ours.  So  for  all  these 
reasons  your  visit  is  an  event  to  us.' 

I  bow  and  smile,  and  he  continues  : 

'  We  want  you  to  drive  with  us  to  the  club 
and  afterwards  dine  with  us,  if  you  will  do  us 
such  a  favour.' 

I  say  that  I  shall  be  very  glad,  and  indeed 
there  is  a  kindliness  about  him  that  takes  my 
fear  away.  Then  the  other  men  are  introduced. 

'  The  club  is  a  mile  away,'  he  says,  '  but  I 
have  brought  my  dogcart,  and  will  drive  you 
up  if  you  will  let  me.  Gallio,  there  's  a  pony 
here  for  you.' 

We  go  ashore,  and  I  get  into  the  little  dog- 
cart with  Mr.  Tournon.  My  husband  rides 
with  the  other  men,  who  make  a  sort  of  guard 
of  honour.  Two  ride  in  front  to  clear  the 
road  for  us,  and  the  others  ride  behind.  The 
road  is  narrow,  is  metalled  only  in  the  centre, 
and  is  about  a  mile  long.  It  is,  however,  the 


I  12 


only  metalled  road  in  a  district  of  six  thousand 
square  miles,  Mr.  Tournon  tells  me. 

Our  drive  lies  through  the  village  and  into 
the  civil  station,  and  I  enjoy  it  quite  well  ex- 
cept when  we  have  to  stop  occasionally  for  a 
bullock-cart  to  get  out  of  the  way.  Then 
the  pony  takes  the  opportunity  to  do  ballet 
dancing  on  his  hind  legs,  which  I  don't  like. 

'  You  have  no  Englishwomen  here,'  I  ask. 

He  shakes  his  head. 

'  But  why  ? ' 

1  Unhealthy,'  he  says  briefly.  c  It  used  to 
be  called  "  the  white  man's  grave."  We 
have  a  cemetery  here  full  of  the  graves  of 
officers.  '  It 's  rather  better  now,  but  still — 
unhealthy.' 

'  But,'  I  say,  c  aren't  you  married  ? ' 

He  glances  at  me  sideways.  '  I  suppose 
Gallio  told  you.' 

I  shake  my  head.     'I  guessed.' 

c  How  did  you  guess  ? '     His  tone  is  cold. 

'  You  have  a  manner,'  I  answer  vaguely,  for 
indeed  I  cannot  formulate  myself  why  I  had 
guessed.  'There  is  a  difference.' 

4  Yes,'  he  says  briefly. 

He  says  no  more  ;  he  does  not  speak  about 
his  wife.  He  is  silent  with  that  silence  which 
is  eloquent  of  things  unsaid,  that  never  can  be 
said.  I  feel  uncomfortable,  and  am  glad  when 
we  arrive  at  the  club. 

It  is  just  a  little  thatched  building  with  two 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  113 

rooms,  and  a  card-  and  reading-room.  It  is 
decorated  with  flowers,  evidently  in  our  honour. 

4  I  see  that  you  are  not  dressed  for  lawn- 
tennis.  I  do  not  know  if  you  care  for  cards,' 
says  Mr.  Tournon.  '  Perhaps  you  would  rather 
sit  and  watch  them  playing  lawn-tennis.' 

My  husband  and  three  other  men  begin 
a  game.  Mr.  Tournon  excuses  himself  for 
a  few  minutes,  and  I  am  left  with  young 
Mr.  Logan  to  sit  and  watch  the  game. 

'  Have  you  been  here  long  ? '  I  ask. 

4  Two  years,'  he  answers. 

4  And  the  others  ? ' 

4  As  long  or  longer.' 

4  Are  you  not  tired  of  it  ? ' 

4  No.     We  are  a  happy  party  here.' 

4  Do  not  you  quarrel  ? ' 

He  laughs.  4  No  ;  or  if  we  do,  we  suppress 
it.  Men  learn  not  to  quarrel,  you  know.' 

How  do  they  learn,  I  wonder.  If  five 
women  were  shut  up  alone  for  two  years 
together,  without  men,  would  any  of  them  be 
alive,  let  alone  on  speaking  terms  with  the 
others  at  the  end,  I  wonder  ? 

4  When  do  you  learn,  and  how  ? '  I  ask. 

He  looks  at  me  and  grins.  4  At  school,  in 
a  regiment,  or  office,  in  work,  in  play,  in  the 
club,  in  life.  That  is  the  when.  As  to  the 
how,  common  sense  and  the  stick,  if  necessary, 
does  it.' 

4  Perhaps,'  I  think,  4  that  is  why  women 

H 


ii4  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

never  learn.  But  perhaps  they  aren't  meant 
to  learn  ;  men  are  the  cement  of  life,  and 
women  the  separating  force.' 

And  again,  say  that  five  women,  or  fifty 
women,  were  secluded  from  all  men  of  their 
kind  and  class,  how  terribly  narrow  they  would 
find  life.  They  would  become  atrophied. 
Yet  these  men  here  alone  are  not  narrow. 
The  great  currents  of  the  world  affect  them 
and  move  them,  and  they  are  conscious  of  a 
community  with  the  world  life.  But  we,  we 
alone  have  no  such  community.  The  world 
forces  reach  us  through  our  men — our  fathers, 
brothers,  husbands,  above  all  husbands — are 
broken  for  us  by  them,  are  softened  and 
adapted.  A  man  touches  life  direct,  but  a 
woman  touches  life  through  man,  who  is  her 
medium,  her  glove,  her  conductor. 

So  do  new  thoughts  run  through  and 
through  me,  born  of  a  new  emotion,  of  a 
tremble  and  a  movement  of  my  whole  self 
that  was  not  there  but  yesterday. 

There  is  a  longing  come  to  me  to  touch 
this  world,  and  there  is  a  new  sense  of  com- 
munity with  it,  through  him,  through  him 
who  is  part  of  me. 

4  You  have  not  told  me  what  you  are,'  I  say 
to  Mr.  Logan. 

c  I  am  the  engineer,'  he  says,  '  but  what  do 
you  know  of  things  like  that  ?  That  is  a 
man's  question.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  115 

'  Nothing,'  I  answer.  '  I  don't  know  why 
I  asked.  You  are  not  married  ? ' 

It  seems  to  me  just  now  that  the  one 
question  of  importance  in  the  world  is 
marriage.  I  did  not  know  before  what  a 
tremendous  thing  it  was.  And  now  that  I 
know,  it  takes  the  first  place  in  my  mind. 

He  laughs  and  shakes  his  head.  c  No,  no, 
and  I  do  not  think  I  ever  shall  be.' 

4  Why  not  ? '  I  ask,  surprised  and  hurt.  It 
seemed  from  his  tone  as  if  he  despised  the 
marriage  state. 

c  I  can't  afford  it,  never  shall  be  able  to  afford 
it — like  many  other  men  out  here,'  he  answers. 

I  think  of  all  the  heaps  of  girls  at  home  so 
wanting  husbands  and  am  vexed.  c  That  is 
selfishness,'  I  say. 

'  Perhaps,'  he  answers.  c  But  all  marriages 
are  not  happy.' 

c  Are  none  of  you  married  except  Mr. 
Tournon  ? ' 

He  shakes  his  head. 

'  Why  is  not  Mrs.  Tournon  here  ?  If  she 
were,  and  you  saw  how  happy  a  woman  can 
make  herself  even  in  a  place  like  this,  and 
what  a  difference  she  effects,  you  would  all 
get  married.' 

He  stares  at  me  open-mouthed.  Then 
suddenly  he  bursts  into  a  loud  guffaw,  which 
he  tries  to  stifle  ineffectually,  and  finally  gets 
up  and  runs  away. 


n6  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  What  have  I  said  ? '  I  feel  hot  all  over. 
Has  Mrs.  Tournon  bolted  or  what  ?  My 
husband  ought  to  have  told  me.  I  sit  and 
tremble  with  anger,  and  would  like  to  cry.  I 
watch  them  mechanically  as  they  drive  the 
ball  backwards  and  forwards. 

At  last  Mr.  Tournon  comes.  '  What,  all 
alone  ? '  he  says,  surprised.  '  I  am  very  sorry. 
I  told  Logan  to  look  after  you.' 

I  do  not  know  what  to  say,  and  presently 
the  game  is  over  and  the  players  come  up.  It 
is  getting  too  dark  to  play  another  set,  and  we 
go  up  to  the  club-house. 

There  we  sit  for  a  while  and  talk,  and  then 
we  must  drive  back  to  the  raft  to  dress  for 
dinner.  My  husband  drives  me. 

'  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  about  Mr.  Tour- 
non ?  '  I  say  indignantly  as  we  go  along. 

c  Tell  you  what  ? '  he  asks. 

4  About  Mrs.  Tournon.  What  is  the 
mystery  ? ' 

For  a  minute  he  is  silent.  £  I  'm  sorry  you 
found  out,'  he  says  at  last.  '  I  did  not  want 
you  to  know,  at  least  at  present.  She  is  a  devil.' 

'  I  suppose  she  has  run  away  with  some 
one  else.' 

He  shakes  his  head  and  smiles  a  little 
grimly.  £  The  trouble  is  the  other  way,'  he  says. 

'  I  do  not  understand,'  I  say.  *  I  thought 
that  all  trouble  in  marriage  came  from  that.' 

He  shakes  his  head. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  117 

'  It  is  an  unpleasant  story,'  is  all  he  answers. 

But  that  does  not  satisfy  me.  I  want  to 
know — indeed  I  want  to  know — about  this 
new  world  into  which  I  Ve  come.  Until 
now  I  could  know  nothing.  I  was  always 
told  'it  is  not  for  girls  to  know  such  things.' 
Now  I  am  enfranchised  and  I  may  know,  and 
he  must  tell  me,  because  now  it  is  my  world 
too — through  him.  But  I  keep  silence  till 
we  arrive  and  are  c  at  home.'  Then  as  we 
are  dressing,  I  say  to  him  : 

'  Please  tell  me.  Have  I  not  a  right  to 
know — now  ? ' 

He  looks  at  me  in  puzzled  fashion.  '  I  am 
not  sure,'  he  says,  c  how  much  I  ought  to  tell 
you.  Is  it  not  enough  that  in  this  unit, 
which  is  We,  one  of  us  knows  ? ' 

I  shake  my  head  quite  vigorously.  '  I  sup- 
pose it  is  very  improper  ? '  I  say. 

He  comes  over  to  my  side  of  the  room  and 
sits  beside  me.  '  The  story  is  a  long  one, 
even  as  I  know  it,  and  of  course  I  do  not 
know  it  all,'  he  says.  '  But  it  is  like  this. 
Tournon  is  an  able  man,  but  like  many  very 
able  men  he  is  very  simple  about  women. 
He  cannot  see,  he  takes  your  sex  on  trust. 
He  married — as  all  of  us  marry,  by  some  fate 
that  makes  us.  That  fate  was  not  kind  to 
him.  He  took  for  granted  that  the  woman 
he  married  would  be  to  him  as  good  wives 
are  to  husbands.  Of  course,  I  only  know 


n8  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

what  the  world  knows.  The  secrets  of  that 
marriage  are  secrets.  But  there  was  trouble 
from  the  very  day  of  marriage.  She  called 
herself  a  new  woman,  vaunted  her  inde- 
pendence, scoffed  at  the  idea  of  a  wife  obeying 
her  husband  in  any  matter.' 

'  And  why  should  she  ? '  I  ask. 

4  My  dear,'  he  answers,  '  we  are  none  of  us 
free.  Men  are  in  obedience  to  their  govern- 
ment, to  the  laws,  to  the  rules  of  business,  to 
the  unwritten  yet  most  stringently  enforced 
codes  of  give-and-take  among  men.  Women 
know  nothing  of  this.  Women  touch  the 
world  of  action  not  directly  but  through  their 
husbands,  who  are  responsible  for  them,  who 
act  for  them  and  protect  them.  If  in  such 
matters  they  will  not  obey  their  husbands, 
they  become  either  servants  to  some  other 
man  or  simply  anarchists.  And  the  husband 
has  to  take  the  responsibility  before  the  world, 
because  the  world  cannot  deal  with  women 
direct,  but  only  through  their  men. 

4  Was  Mrs.  Tournon  anarchist  ?  ' 

'  As  far  as  Tournon  was  concerned,  always. 
She  evidently  deemed  it  a  point  of  honour 
never  to  listen  to  him.' 

'Yet  she  had  married  him.' 

'  She  knew  nothing  of  the  world,  nothing 
of  what  marriage  meant,  and  she  would  not 
learn.  She  thought  she  knew  everything,  yet 
knew  nothing.  She  could  learn  nothing,  for 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  119 

all  sympathy,  which  is  understanding,  is  born 
of  emotion,  which  she  could  not  feel.  She 
was  a  woman  incapable  of  real  love.  She 
was  a  "  pure,  good  woman  "  in  the  cant  of  a 
canting  world,  pure  in  her  body  because 
almost  emotionless,  impure  beyond  conception 
in  her  mind  because  she  lacked  that  sympathy 
and  understanding  that  the  love  emotion  alone 
can  give.  She  thought  and  said  that  the 
world  was  evil.  She  went  about  the  world 
holding  her  spiritual  nose  to  keep  out  evil 
savours.' 

I  look  up  in  his  face  and  smile. 

'  So  she  made  Tournon's  life  a  hell  ;  she 
cared  nothing  for  what  he  said,  interfered  in 
matters  she  knew  nothing  of,  sought  advice 
when  she  thought  she  needed  it  from  any  one 
but  her  husband.  She  was  intolerable.  All 
his  friends  dropped  him.  Stations  to  which 
she  came  broke  out  into  discord,  and  govern- 
ment work  cannot  go  on  where  there  is  dis- 
cord. He  was  transferred  and  again  transferred 
because  of  her.  Finally,  he  secretly  asked  to 
be  sent  here,  where  women  may  not  come,  to 
be  free  of  her.' 

'  Cannot  he  separate  ? ' 

c  How  can  he  separate  ?  The  Church- 
made  laws  of  divorce  recognise  only  excess  or 
error  in  love  ;  the  utter  want  of  capacity  for 
love,  for  real  marriage,  is  not  to  them  a  fault. 
For  they  have  never  tried  to  understand  what 


i2o  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

love  and  marriage  is.  Yet  of  the  abounding 
misery  of  the  world  nine-tenths  is  due  to  want 
of  love,  and  not  a  tenth  to  excess  of  it.' 

'  What  will  he  do  ? ' 

'  Who  knows  ?  He  is  a  ruined  man  for 
life,  and  nothing  can  help  him.  He  will  stay 
here  as  long  as  he  can.  He  is  fairly  at  peace 
here.  If  he  leave  to  go  on  furlough,  she  will 
rejoin  him.  She  is  the  "  perfect  wife "  in 
her  own  estimation.' 

'  He  might  love  and  take  another  woman,' 
I  suggest  timidly,  '  and  so  make  his  wife 
divorce  him.' 

'  He  would  not  do  it,'  he  answers.  '  Not 
because  of  himself  nor  because  he  thought  it 
a  sin,  but  because  of  that  other  woman  whom 
the  world  would  damn.  He  could  not  live 
with  a  woman  he  did  not  love  ;  he  could  not 
bear  to  see  a  woman  he  loved  cold  shouldered 
by  the  world.  Besides,  once  bit,  twice  shy.' 

The  bitterness  of  his  voice  hurts  me,  and  I 
cry,  '  And  what  of  her  ?  of  Mrs.  Tournon  ? 
Do  you  never  think  of  her,  how  steeped  in 
misery  she  must  be.  Men  have  so  many 
things,  but  marriage  is  a  woman's  only  chance. 
And  if  it  fail  ? ' 

4  It  is  her  own  fault,'  he  says. 

c  No,'  I  say.  '  Not  her  own.  It  is  the 
way  she  has  been  brought  up  and  taught.' 

He  looks  at  me  and  strokes  my  cheek. 
'  My  dear,  my  dear,'  he  says,  '  of  course  you 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  121 

are  right.  She  suffers,  and  through  her  the 
husband,  for  sins  of  churches,  conventions, 
laws,  societies,  and  foolish  mothers.  She  is  to 
be  pitied  as  much  as  he  is.  Only  you  see,  the 
evil  comes  through  her,  therefore  she  seems 
the  one  to  blame.' 

'Poor  woman,'  I  say,  'poor  woman.'  I 
feel  that  I  should  like  to  cry. 

He  only  pats  my  cheek  and  says,  '  Come, 
hurry  up,  or  we  shall  keep  them  waiting.' 

We  change,  and  then  we  drive  to  Mr. 
Tournon's  house  for  dinner. 

It  is  a  very  pleasant  dinner.  How  nice  men 
can  be  to  a  woman  when  she  is  young  and 
pretty.  They  toast  me  and  drink  my  health. 
Afterwards  they  sing  songs,  and  I  sing  too. 

But  above  all,  the  feeling  that  I  have  for  them 
is  pity.  Men  can  do  many  things  ;  one  thing 
they  cannot  do  is  make  a  home.  Yet  they 
want  a  home.  After  their  work,  their  trouble, 
and  the  dangers  they  go  through,  they  want  a 
home  where  they  can  rest  and  can  be  petted. 
They  also  need  to  learn,  I  think,  that  there  is 
a  side  of  life  that  with  all  their  knowledge 
they  know  nothing  of,  a  world  where,  with  all 
their  masterfulness,  they  must  give  way. 

As  I  look  at  them,  I  see  such  a  number  of 
things  that  want  amending.  Their  shirts  are 
not  properly  starched  nor  their  ties  well  tied. 
That  comes  of  the  want  of  the  influence  of 
women.  One  man  confided  in  me  that  he 


122  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

had  not  worn  his  evening  clothes  for  two  years 
till  to-night,  and  that  when  he  put  on  his  silk 
socks  he  found  his  boy  had  mended  them  with 
white  cotton  thread.  What  their  bungalows 
must  be  like,  I  fear  to  think.  Men  have  no 
ideas  of  cleanliness  except  in  themselves. 

I  feel  so  sorry  for  these  homeless  men, 
so  nice,  so  half-civilised  as  it  were.  I  would 
like  to  mother  all  of  them. 

I  tell  this  to  my  husband  and  he  answers:  'A 
woman's  first  idea  when  she  sees  a  man  she  at  all 
likes  is  to  assert  her  authority  over  him,  to  get 
him  down,  to  say  innumerable  "don'ts"  to  him.' 

4  You  need  it  so  badly,'  I  retort. 

'  It  is  your  thirst  for  power,'  he  answers. 

And  when  I  think  over  the  matter  candidly 
I  see  that  maybe  it  is  a  little  of  both. 

As  we  drive  up  to  the  raft,  we  see  a 
small,  white  blur  upon  the  road.  As  we 
arrive,  the  blur  dissolves  into  two  little  dogs, 
who  jump  and  fawn  upon  their  master  with 
yaps  and  cries.  It  is  Spot  and  Lady. 

'They  are  faithful  little  things,'  he  says 
as  he  caresses  them.  '  When  I  go  out,  they 
always  wait  for  me  upon  the  road.  They 
would  wait  all  night,  or  many  days  and  nights.' 

They  also  deign  to  take  some  notice  of  me, 
acknowledging  me  at  last  as  belonging  to  the 
family,  and  we  all  go  on  board  together. 

And  now  for  our  romance. 


CHAPTER    IX 


'  But  mother's  love,  like  mother's  milk,  may  sour.' 

GANGLER. 


IX 


E  went  into  the  salon  and 
sat  down.  Filled  with  clear 
yellow  light,  it  seemed  a 
cheerful  little  place,  and 
Lesbia's  presence  gave  it  a 
grace  and  sweetness  that 
were  new  to  me. 

Presently  they  came  in,  the  girl  and  mother 
first,  blinking  at  the  bright  light,  nervous, 
afraid  of  these  sea  strangers  whom  they  did 
not  know.  They  passed  to  Lesbia's  side  and 
sat  upon  the  mats. 

Then  followed  Po  Chon  and  Po  Ka,  who 
came  and  sat  near  me.  Po  Ka's  eyes  were 
fixed  upon  the  girl,  but  hers  upon  the  floor. 

There  was  a  brief  silence  while  we  looked 
from  one  to  other.  For  here  within  these 
narrow  walls,  made  manifest  in  these  poor 
people,  were  the  great  passions  of  the  world, 
that  made  it  and  that  keep  it.  First,  there 
was  the  mother  of  the  girl,  maternal  love, 
the  preserver  of  the  world  that  bears  and 
nourishes  and  cherishes.  She  was  a  woman, 


ia6  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

old  beyond  her  years,  worn  with  hard  work, 
stupid  and  almost  ugly.  Of  her  looks  and 
dress  she  was  quite  careless,  for  to  her  lovers 
came  no  more.  Her  eyes  as  she  looked  on 
her  daughter  were  filled  with  love,  but  not  a 
high  nor  noble  love.  It  was  a  selfish,  jealous 
passion  that  they  showed,  almost  a  hate  some- 
times. It  was  a  love  of  the  girl  for  her  own 
sake,  not  for  the  girl's,  a  love  that  would  sacri- 
fice the  daughter  to  the  mother,  that  looked 
back  and  never  forward.  It  was  a  mother's 
love  grown  old  and  out  of  place,  from  an  un- 
selfishness become  a  selfishness,  from  a  pre- 
serving passion  grown  into  a  destroying 
passion — one  that  would  blindly  ruin  its 
child's  future  if  it  could.  It  was  the  degra- 
dation of  a  once  truth  that  would  not  recog- 
nise its  present  falsehood. 

The  girl  was  pretty.  She  had  round 
cheeks,  bright  eyes,  a  soft  and  yielding  form. 
There  was  in  her  that  grace  of  looks  that 
lifts  a  girl  for  a  few  years  far  up  above  her 
parents.  She  has  a  '  possibility,'  and  they 
have  none.  She  is  a  promise,  though  it  never 
be  fulfilled  ;  she  has  the  nobility  of  a  rising 
flame,  the  mother  is  a  dying  ember. 

«  Well  ? '  I  said. 

The  mother  looked  at  me  angrily,  and  then 
caught  hold  of  the  girl's  hand,  as  if  to  hold 
her  from  me.  But  she  answered  nothing. 

'  What  is  the  matter  ?  '   I  asked.      '  Po  Ka 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  127 

loves  your  daughter  and  she  loves  him.  Why 
cannot  you  give  her  to  him  ? ' 

4  He  is  a  robber  and  a  deceiver,'  she 
muttered.  '  Never  will  I  give  my  girl  to 
him  ? ' 

'  What  has  he  robbed  ? ' 

4  Hasn't  he  robbed  me  of  her  ?  Didn't  he 
come  like  a  thief  and  make  love  to  her  and 
steal  her  heart  away  ? '  The  mother's  voice 
was  hard  and  bitter. 

4  So  do  all  men,'  I  answered.  4  Did  not  your 
husband  once  steal  your  heart  and  you  ? ' 

She  glances  at  me  sidewise. 

4  And  wasn't  he  right  ?  For  indeed  he 
didn't  steal,  you  gave.  Is  that  not  so  ?  Look 
back.' 

4  My  parents  gave  their  consent,'  she 
grumbled. 

4  And  you  can  give  yours.' 

4  My  husband  did  not  take  me  away  from 
them  to  a  far  country.  He  came  and  lived 
with  us.' 

4  Ah,'  I  said  to  Lesbia,  and  I  translated  ; 
4  that  is  the  trouble.' 

4  And  isn't  it  natural,'  said  Lesbia,  4  to  want 
to  keep  her  daughter  and  gain  a  son  ? ' 

4  Love  thinks  not  of  such  things,'  I  answered ; 
4  and  love  is  lord,  for  he  commands  the  future. 
We  can  but  obey,  or  else  deny.  What  of  your 
mother,  Lesbia  ? ' 

4  Poor  mother,'  and  Lesbia's  eyes  grew  soft. 


128  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  She  let  you  come  when  I  called.' 

4  Poor  mother.' 

4  "  Poor  mother  "  maybe  ;  but  "  poorer  chil- 
dren "  if  their  mothers  will  not  let  them  go.' 

4  It  is  the  world's  tragedy,'  she  said. 

4  It  is  through  the  tears  of  men  and  women 
that  the  world  moves  on,'  I  answered. 

'You  are  so  hard,'  she  said,  *  on  women.' 

4  Then  do  you  speak,'  I  said.  4  I  will  inter- 
pret. You  are  a  woman  ;  speak  to  this  woman. 

She  flushed.  But  Lesbia  is  brave  and  Les- 
bia  has  sense.  She  spoke  through  me.  I  said  : 

*  Look  at  this  lady.' 

The  mother  raised  her  eyes  and  stared  at 
Lesbia.  She  had  never  seen  an  Englishwoman 
before.  I  saw  her  eyes  grow  larger  and  a  look 
of  wonder  come  into  her  face. 

4  She  bids  me  talk  to  you,'  I  said.  4  She  bids 
me  say  she  has  a  mother  too,  far,  far  away 
beyond  the  sunset.  Yet  her  mother  gave  her 
to  me.' 

The  woman  stared.  4  Her  mother  has  a 
husband.' 

4  No  ;  she  is  a  widow  as  you  are.' 

4  But  she  has  other  children.' 

4  No.     She  is  alone.' 

4  Then  how  could  she  do  it  ?  How  ? '  she 
cried.  *  I  cannot  part  with  my  daughter.' 

4  The  lady  bids  me  say  that  her  mother  too 
wept  when  she  went  ;  but  that  her  mother 
would  not  sacrifice  her  daughter  to  herself.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  129 

'  I  don't,'  the  woman  cried.  c  But  the  lady's 
mother  loved  and  trusted  you.  I  don't  trust 
Po  Ka.' 

'  Why  not.' 

'  He  is  stranger.' 

c  To  you,  but  not  to  me.  He  has  been  with 
me  for  fourteen  years.  I  know  him.  Will  you 
believe  me  what  I  tell  you  of  him  ? ' 

She  looked  incredulously  at  me. 

'  I  will  tell  you  a  tale  about  him,'  I  con- 
tinued ;  and  I  told  her  of  his  first  wife.  '  So 
he  can  love,'  I  said. 

*  First  love,'  she  said. 

'  He  who  has  loved  can  love  again,'  I 
answered.  '  Some  cannot  love  at  all.' 

'  How  do  I  know  he  loves  my  daughter  ? ' 

'  Look  at  him.' 

She  looked  across  angrily  at  Po  Ka.  '  How 
can  I  tell  by  looking  ? '  she  complained.  '  Men 
are  all  liars.' 

'  I  think  not,'  I  said.  '  And  your  daughter 
loves  Po  Ka.' 

'  No,  no,'  she  cried. 

'  Ask  her.' 

She  saw  the  danger.  '  I  will  not  ask  her. 
She  is  bewitched  and  will  not  answer  true.' 

'  Yes,  love  is  witchery,  is  it  not  ? ' 

4  Oh  !  oh  ! '  she  cried  with  anger,  '  you  are 
all  against  me.  But  I  will  not  let  her  go.' 


1 3o  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

ii 

When  I  first  see  the  mother,  my  feelings  are 
all  against  her.  She  is  so  common  and  so 
dowdy  beside  her  daughter.  She  is  like  a  witch 
claiming  a  beauty.  But  gradually  as  I  watch 
her  my  feelings  change  ;  I  understand.  It  is 
her  love  that  makes  her  so.  Is  she  worn  and 
old,  it  is  by  working  for  the  girl  ;  is  she  badly 
clothed,  it  is  to  give  her  daughter  a  pretty  dress  ; 
is  she  narrow  and  stupid,  it  is  because  her  soul 
is  in  the  girl.  Within  her  daughter  is  wrapped 
up  her  whole  interests  and  her  life  ;  she  lives 
alone  in  her,  that  second  self.  And  her  pain  is 
as  of  one  who  feels  her  heart  torn  from  out  her 
breast  ;  nothing  is  left  her  but  despair  and 
death. 

It  is  the  eternal  tragedy  of  women  that  they 
give  themselves  utterly  to  their  children,  who 
give  themselves  elsewhere,  and  leave  their 
mothers  empty  and  purposeless  until  the  end. 

And  yet,  it  must  be  so. 

My  husband  talks.  I  listen,  but  do  not 
understand.  Therefore  I  watch — and  I  under- 
stand. 

How  did  this  understanding  come  to  me  ? 
But  yesterday  it  was  not  there.  I  feel  a-tingle 
with  new  nerves  that  see,  that  hear,  that  feel 
things  that  I  dreamt  not  before. 

How  feels  the  mother  ?  I  can  guess,  can  feel. 
When  I  left  my  mother  but  a  month  ago,  I  did 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  131 

not  know  her  heart,  nor  what  I  cost  her.  Now 
I  can  understand  a  little  what  that  mother  feels. 
For  I  myself  may  be  a  mother  soon. 

And  Po  Ka  ?  I  have  seen  my  husband 
tremble  to  look  at  me  ;  I  have  felt  the  passion 
in  his  arms  while  his  heart  beat  hard  against 
my  breast.  I  comprehend. 

And  the  girl  towards  Po  Ka  ?  I  know,  I 
know. 

There  are  no  words  to  tell  these  things.  You 
might  just  as  well  try  to  tell  music,  to  express 
in  words  low  symphonies,  triumphal  marches, 
or  the  misereres  of  the  dead.  But  in  a  heart 
strung  up,  whose  strings  are  tuned,  they  echo 
their  own  music. 

And  as  they  talk  I  seem  to  see  before  me 
rise  visions  of  all  the  world,  the  innumer- 
able mothers  who  have  lost,  must  lose,  their 
daughters,  who  have  been  their  very  lives,  of 
men  like  robbers  in  the  night,  who  steal  girls' 
hearts,  of  girls  who  open  wide  their  arms  to  let 
their  hearts  be  rifled.  Why  are  the  glories  of 
the  world  so  near  its  tragedies  ?  Death  hangs 
upon  the  heels  of  life. 

'  What  do  they  say  ? '  I  ask  presently. 

'  I  think  we  are  getting  at  it/  says  my 
husband.  '  The  real  trouble  partly  is  this,  that 
the  girl  is  not  marrying  at  home  but  going 
away,  perhaps  for  ever.  That  is  a  bitterness.' 

'Truly,'  I  say. 

4  But  even  that  is  not  the  worst.     I  think 


1 32  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

it 's  this.  The  mother  is  getting  old.  She  is 
not  very  strong.  She  might  break  down, 
and  in  her  daughter's  absence  starve.' 

c  Is  that  so  ? '  I  ask. 

'  She  will  not  say,  but  I  think  that  must  be 
it.  The  daughter  is  her  bank,  in  which  her 
savings  have  all  been  placed.  To  lose  her  is 
ruin.  Otherwise,  I  think  that  she  would  bear 
it  ;  other  mothers  do.' 

'  What  will  you  do  ? ' 

'  Make  her  an  offer.'  He  turns  from  me 
again  and  talks  to  them. 

And  as  he  talks  I  see  all  faces  lighten.  Po 
Ka's  grows  bright,  Po  Chon  looks  relieved, 
the  girl  gets  radiant.  And  even  the  mother 
loses  her  despair  and  seems,  though  gloomy, 
acquiescent. 

Then  my  husband  goes  into  his  room,  comes 
out  with  money,  which  he  gives  to  the  mother. 
She  counts  it,  puts  it  in  her  cloth,  and  they  all 
get  up  and  go. 

1  How  is  it  settled  ? '  I  ask  him. 

'The  girl  goes  with  her  mother  to-night, 
but  returns  to  Po  Ka  at  dawn,  when  we  start 
onward.  The  mother  gives  her  consent,  and 
the  marriage  is  confirmed.' 

'  How  did  you  manage  it  ? '  I  asked. 

c  I  found  the  difficulty,  the  real  insuperable 
grievance  in  the  mother's  mind.  The  girl 
makes  money,  and  the  girl  gone  the  mother 
would  have  difficulty  in  living.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  133 

'  How  sordid  ! '  I  exclaim. 

'My  dear,*  he  says,  'it  is  not  sordid  to 
complain  if  you  lose  half,  perhaps  later  on  all 
your  livelihood.  It  is  but  natural,  and  what  is 
natural  is  never  sordid.  The  mother  loves  her 
daughter,  do  not  doubt  it,  but  like  other 
mothers  she  would  make  herself  bear  that  loss 
if  necessary  for  the  girl's  sake.  But  to  be  re- 
duced to  poverty  as  well  as  solitude — that  were 
hard  to  bear,  and  would  rankle  in  her  mind 
always.  Remember  if  the  girl  married  a  man 
in  the  same  village  they  would  help  the  mother 
all  her  life,  but  Po  Ka  takes  the  girl  away.' 

'  What  did  you  do  ? ' 

'  I  gave  her  a  sum  down  and  arranged  to 
send  her  monthly  a  proportion  of  Po  Ka's  pay.' 

'  Oh,  it  is  so  material  !  '  I  cry. 

'  My  dear,  my  dear,'  he  says,  and  takes  me 
in  his  arms,  '  is  not  the  world  flesh  as  well  as 
spirit  ?  Is  it  not  spirit  manifest  in  flesh  ?  It 
is  not  sordid  to  be  duly  careful  of  the  flesh,  for 
the  spirit  lives  in  it.' 

I  do  not  understand,  I  only  shake  my  head. 

'  Sweetheart,'  he  says,  '  your  hair  is  sun- 
shine and  your  eyes  are  heaven.  They  are 
material  things.  So  is  this  kiss.  Do  you 
despise  it  therefore  ? ' 

I  kiss  him  for  my  answer,  and  we  go  to 
bed. 


CHAPTER    X 


'  Nature  is  the  living  visible  garment  of  God.' 

GOETHE. 


X 


ESBIA,'  I  said,  '  get  up.' 

She  half  opened  sleepy  eyes 
and  shook  her  head. 

'  Get   up,   get  up,'  I   said, 
but  she  in  answer  closed  her 
eyes  again,  and  turned  away 
from  me  in  playful  petulance. 

c  Strong  measures,'  I  said  severely,  c  become 
necessary  for  lazy  girls.' 

Evidently,  however,  this  lazy  girl  was  not 
afraid  of  strong  measures,  for  she  only  closed 
her  eyes  the  tighter  and  hugged  the  pillow  to 
her  face.  I  thought  I  heard  her  murmur 
something. 

'  What  did  you  say  ? '  I  asked. 
No  answer   unless  a  tiny  snore  might    be 
interpreted  as  such. 

'  Very  well,'  I  said  in  as  deep  a  tone  as  I 
could  find,  suppressing  my  laughter.  c  Now 
comes  the  time  for  action  ! '  I  put  my  arms 
suddenly  about  her  and  lifted  her  into  a  sitting 
position,  caught  with  one  hand  the  wet  sponge 
from  the  stand  and  rubbed  her  face. 


138  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

The  effect  was  electrical.  From  being  a 
soft  and  yielding  slip  of  fragrant  flesh,  she 
became  as  evasive  and  elastic  as  an  eel.  Pull- 
ing herself  from  me  with  a  sudden  twist  she 
caught  her  pillow  with  both  hands  and  rained 
upon  me  buffet  after  buffet.  Taken  by  sur- 
prise I  had  no  defence  at  first.  I  just  sat  and 
suffered.  Then  came  a  fearful  struggle,  with 
sobs  and  sighs,  and  the  loud  complaint  of  fur- 
niture. There  were  vicissitudes  in  that  fight, 
but  at  length  victory,  as  it  always  does,  inclined 
towards  the  right.  Though  breathless  and 
hot,  I  held  her  tight,  disarmed  and  helpless  ; 
yet  still  triumphant  and  shaking  with  laughter. 

c  Lesbia,'  I  gasped,  c  this  is  most  unseemly.' 

'  I  warned  you,'  she  panted,  shaking  her 
hair  from  out  her  eyes.  c  I  warned  you.' 

'  When  did  you  warn  me  ? '  I  demanded. 

'  I  said  "  Gare  a  vous." 

'  Oh,  that  was  what  you  mumbled ;  I 
didn't  hear.' 

'  I  can't  help  that,'  she  answered. 

'  I  wanted  you  to  get  up,'  I  said,  explaining. 

'  And  I  didn't  want.  Am  I  not  mistress  of 
myself  ? ' 

I  shook  my  head.  c  Besides,  my  Lesbia,  I 
have  a  plan.' 

This  aroused  her  interest.  She  moved  round, 
seated  herself  on  my  knees,  put  her  arm  round 
my  neck,  and  asked,  '  What  plan  ? '  with 
curiosity. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  139 

'That  is  my  secret.' 

'  I  thought  you  said,'  she  whispered,  '  that 
love  lay  in  telling  secrets  ? ' 

'Therefore  I  must  make  secrets  so  that  I 
can  tell  them  you,'  I  said.  *  I  have  a  plan. 
Do  as  I  say  and  you  will  know  my  plan.' 

£  Is  the  plan  nice  ? ' 

4  It 's  lovely.' 

'  What  must  I  do  ? ' 

c  Put  on  your  bathing  dress,  and  over  that  a 
cloak,  and  come.' 

'  Is  that  all  ? ' 

£  At  present.' 

She  laughed.  £  It  is  soon  done.  Go  out- 
side and  wait  for  me.'  I  went  out  to  the  fore- 
castle. 

Some  ten  years  before  I  had  built  for  me  a 
boat  for  sailing  on  the  river.  She  was  eighteen 
feet  in  length,  and  not  quite  four  feet  in 
breadth,  light,  and  yet  strong.  I  had  rigged 
her  with  a  sprit-sail  and  a  foresail,  and  I  had 
sailed  or  rowed  her  for  many  a  hundred  miles 
upon  the  river. 

She  had  accompanied  us,  moored  aft,  but 
that  morning  I  had  brought  her  up  to  the  fore- 
castle, had  put  in  her  cushions  and  rugs,  had 
provisioned  her  for  the  day,  and  now,  gay  with 
new  paint,  with  sail  shaking  in  the  breeze  and 
pennant  streaming,  she  awaited  us. 

'  How  nice  she  looks  ! '  said  Lesbia,  coming 
out. 


140  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

c  She  is  as  good  as  she  is  pretty,'  I  replied. 
'  I  never  had  an  accident  in  her,  and  this  river 
is  called  dangerous  to  sail  in.  Are  you  all 
ready  ?  ' 

She  nodded  and  stepped  into  the  boat.  I 
took  my  place  beside  her.  Po  Chon  cast  off 
the  moorings  and  we  were  free. 

£  Where  are  we  going  ?  '  she  asked. 

'  Anywhere,'  I  answered,  drawing  in  the 
sheet  while  the  boat  gathered  way  ;  '  the  river 
and  the  day  are  ours.  First  we  will  sail  away 
ahead  into  our  solitude  ;  then  we  will  bathe  ; 
then  we  will  do  whatever  you  like.' 

She  clapped  her  hands. 

The  cool  north  breeze  from  the  abode  of 
snow  came  down  the  river  crisping  its  ripples  ; 
our  sails  filled  out.  With  a  rustle  and  a  lap 
the  water  slipped  beside  us.  After  the  still- 
ness and  formlessness  of  the  raft  we  seemed  to 
have  come  on  board  a  thing  of  life  and  beauty. 
We  rushed  fast  down  the  river. 

'  What  is  her  name  ?  ' 


'  What  does  that  mean  ?  ' 

'  It  is  a  water-insect,  one  that  runs  along  the 
surface.' 

c  Yes,  I  know.  Are  you  going  to  let  me 
steer  ?  ' 

'I  had  not  thought  of  it.  Do  you  know 
how  ?  ' 

'  No.     You  can  show  me.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  141 

4 1  think  I  '11  wait,'  I  answered.  '  The  breeze 
is  fresh,  and  I  want  to  get  on.  When  we 
return,  perhaps.' 

She  let  her  hand  trail  in  the  water,  raised 
it  and  let  the  jewel-drops  fall  back  again  ;  she 
laughed  with  all  the  abandon  of  a  child. 

'  Look  out,'  I  said,  c  for  a  nice  place  to 
bathe  in.' 

'  What  sort  of  place  ? ' 

c  A  piece  of  water  out  of  the  main  current, 
with  a  sandy  beach  that  we  can  land  on.' 

'  The  sails,'  she  said,  '  are  in  my  way.  I 
think  I  '11  go  into  the  front.' 

'  It  is  generally  called  the  bows,'  I  said. 
4  All  right,  go  up. 

She  rose  and  stumbled  up  the  boat  till  she 
came  into  the  bows,  then  waved  to  me  and 
sat  down  and  leant  over.  The  boat  didn't 
trim  so  well,  but  Lesbia  didn't  care  for  that. 
She  liked  to  be  alone  for  a  little  while  and 
watch  and  think. 

For  an  hour  we  ran  on.  The  raft  was  far 
behind,  quite  out  of  sight ;  there  were  forests 
on  each  side.  We  were  alone,  as  utterly  alone 
as  if  we  had  stepped  out  of  the  present  into  the 
early  ages  of  the  world.  Nature  in  all  her 
virgin  beauty  was  round  us,  and  above  the  blue. 

'  Oh,  oh  ! '  she  suddenly  cried,  and  pointed. 
'  What  are  these  ? ' 

They  were  a  school  of  river-porpoises  mak- 
ing their  way  to  higher  waters,  They  leapt 


142  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

and  gambolled  as  they  passed.  How  all  wild 
things  love  playing.  The  wavelets  laugh,  the 
fishes  leap  ;  the  flowers  and  leaves  and  grasses 
dance  and  sway  and  tremble  in  the  breeze  ;  the 
birds  soar  up  and  drop,  or  chase  each  other 
through  the  woods  in  hide-and-seek. 

Two  otters  passed,  swimming  and  diving 
in  their  perfect  poetry  of  motion. 

Still  we  held  on,  until  at  last  we  came  abreast 
a  little  bay  below  an  island.  The  water  was 
almost  still  and  the  sandy  shore  was  smooth 
and  golden.  I  steered  into  the  bay  and  dropped 
the  sails. 

£  Now,'  I  said,  '  come  along.  We  '11  dive 
from  here  and  swim  ashore.' 

«  But  the  boat  ? ' 

'  She  '11  be  all  right,  she  '11  hardly  drift.  I 
will  swim  back  again  and  get  her.' 

Lesbia  dropped  her  cloak  and  stood  up  like 
a  statue  clear  against  the  light.  We  dived 
together.  There  are  few  pleasures  greater  than 
to  feel  cool  waters  close  round  you,  when  the 
naiad  holds  you  in  her  arms  and  kisses  you  all 
over.  Then  we  struck  out  for  the  shore. 
Lesbia  swam  with  vigour,  springing  to  every 
thrust  of  her  white  legs.  In  the  race  she  nearly 
beat  me ;  as  it  was  we  made  a  dead-heat. 

*  I  like  the  diving  best,'  she  said.  '  Let  us 
swim  back  and  climb  into  the  boat  and  dive.' 

So  we  swam  back,  but  climbing  into  the 
boat  was  not  so  easy.  When  you  catch  hold 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  143 

of  the  gunwale  to  pull  you  up  it  gives,  and 
when  you  throw  yourself  upon  it  the  edges 
hurt.  At  last  after  an  effort  I  got  in,  and 
then  I  pulled  in  Lesbia.  After  that  we  dived 
alternately,  one  staying  in  the  boat  to  help  the 
diver  back.  I  had  no  idea  that  Lesbia  was  so 
strong.  As  her  arms  closed  about  me  to  pull  me 
up  they  were  firm  and  hard  beneath  their  tender 
skin  ;  she  felt  like  rubber  gloved  in  white  satin. 
Oh,  how  we  laughed  and  dived  and  splashed. 

At  last  we  sat  down  exhausted,  Lesbia  on 
the  seat,  I  on  the  gunwale,  and  dripped  water. 

4  Lesbia,'  I  said  presently  in  a  satisfied  tone, 
4 1  have  solved  one  of  my  problems.' 

4  What  problem  ? '  she  asked  curiously. 

4  One  of  those  problems  in  natural  history 
I  told  you  of,'  I  answered. 

1  Which  one  ? ' 

4 1  told  you  I  was  anxious  to  know  if  the 
white  on  your  shoulder  blades  came  off.  I 
have  discovered  it  doesn't,'  I  said,  gently 
rubbing  her  shining  skin  where  the  bathing- 
dress  had  left  it  to  be  admired. 

She  only  sniffed. 

4  It  is  a  wonderful  thing,  the  human  skin,'  I 
said  reflectively.  *  It  fits  so  well,  and  yet  is  loose 
and  comfortable.  It  is  comfortable,  isn't  it  ? ' 

4  Quite,  thanks — when  it  is  left  alone.' 

4  It  is  good  protection  against  the  weather, 
against  the  heat  and  cold.  We  should  get  on 
badly  without  it.  It  keeps  out  intruders.' 


144  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  Not  all,'  said  Lesbia  suggestively. 

'  It  is  thinner  in  some  places  than  others. 
I  wonder  why  that  is.' 

No  answer  from  Lesbia. 

'  And  it  is  ornamental.  There  are  blue 
veins  that  cross  it  here  and  there  ;  it  is  so 
white,  yet  when  you  pinch  it  a  beautiful  pink 
colour  comes  at  once.' 

I  was  so  interested  in  my  natural  history 
studies  that  I  forgot  that  the  specimen  might 
have  feelings.  But  apparently  she  had,  for 
she  gave  a  sudden  jump  that  entirely  upset 
the  balance  of  the  boat.  I  wasn't  prepared 
and  I  went  in  backwards,  so  that  naturally  I 
swallowed  a  great  deal  of  water  before  I  rose 
to  the  top  again.  Then  I  saw  Lesbia  looking 
over  the  boat  and  laughing  till  she  choked. 

'  Good-bye,'  I  said  with  injured  dignity. 
c  You  've  thrown  me  over,  so  I  am  off.  You 
can  bring  the  boat  ashore  yourself.'  Then  I 
struck  out  for  land. 

Lesbia  is  not  a  good  boatwoman.  When 
she  tried  to  raise  the  sail  in  order  to  sail  ashore, 
she  only  tangled  herself  up  in  the  sheet  to 
such  an  extent  that  I  thought  I  should  have 
to  swim  back  and  disentangle  her.  However, 
she  got  free.  Then  she  tried  to  row,  but 
using  only  one  oar  she  made  the  Deebo  turn 
round  and  round  until  the  poor  water-insect 
was  so  giddy  it  didn't  know  whether  it  was 
travelling  upon  its  keel  or  its  gunwale.  How- 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  145 

ever,  eventually  they  drifted  ashore,  but  when 
I  approached  Lesbia  jumped  out  and  fled.  It 
was  in  vain.  I  pursued,  and  quickly  I  caught 
her,  for  I  am  a  much  faster  runner  than  Lesbia. 

*  They  sat  them  down  upon  the  yellow  sand 
Between  the  sun  and  moon  upon  the  shore, 
And  sweet  it  was  to  dream  of  Fatherland, 
Of  child  and  wife  and  slave  ;  but  evermore 
Most  weary  seemed  the  sea,  weary  the  oar, 
Weary  the  wandering  fields  of  barren  foam. 
Then  some  one  said,  "  Our  island  home 

Is  far  beyond  the  sea,  we  will  no  longer  roam." ' 

Therefore  we  sought  a  place  to  rest  in  and 
have  lunch.  It  was  a  beautiful  place  we  found, 
a  little  dell  wherein  a  stream  came  murmuring 
to  the  river.  Trees  and  great  creepers  made  a 
deep  green  gloom  broken  with  flickering  lights. 

*  Here  are  cool  mosses  deep, 

And  through  the  moss  the  ivies  creep  ; 

And  in  the  stream  the  long  leaved  flowers  weep  ; 

And  from  the  craggy  ledge  the  poppy  hangs  in  sleep.' 

For  we  had  come  into 

'  a  land 

In  which  it  seemed  always  afternoon. 
All  round  the  coast  the  languid  air  did  swoon — 
Breathing  like  one  that  hath  a  weary  dream. 
Full  faced  above  the  valley  stood  the  moon, 
And  like  a  downward  smoke  the  slender  stream 
Adown  the  cliff  to  fall  and  pause  and  fall  did  seem.' 

In  that  nook  we  had  entered  into  the  inti- 
macy of  the  woods.  There  were  pigeons  there, 
who  flew  from  tree  to  tree,  seen  only  when 
they  moved,  for  when  they  rested  their  green 

K 


146  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

plumage  blended  with  the  leaves.  There  were 
imperial  pigeons  perched  far  up,  whose  moan 
passed  through  the  forest.  A  jungle  cock  in 
all  his  war-paint,  crimson  and  gold  and  black, 
ran  out  and  looked  at  us  and  crowed.  Like 
spurts  of  flame  fire-finches  darted  past,  and  a 
blue  chameleon  stealthily  walked  round  his  tree 
and  stared  at  us  with  great  unwinking  eyes. 

So  we  had  lunch.  And  afterwards  we  did 
not  talk, 

*  But  propt  on  beds  of  amaranth  and  moly 
How  sweet  (while  warm  airs  lull  us  blowing  lowly), 
With  half-dropt  eyelid  still 
Beneath  a  heaven  dark  and  holy  ; 
To  watch  the  long,  bright  river  drawing  slowly 
His  waters  from  the  purple  hill ; 
To  hear  the  dewy  echoes  calling 
From  cave  to  cave  through  the  thick-twined  vine  ; 
To  watch  the  emerald-coloured  waters  falling 
Through  many  a  woven  acanthus  wreath  divine.' 

Had  he  been  here  before  us,  or  is  it  we  who 
have  stepped  into  the  land  of  fairy,  where 
the  poets  live  ? 

'Yes,  that  is  it,'  low  murmured  Lesbia  in 
my  ear.  '  And  you  will  tell  me  fairy  tales  to 
make  me  sleep.' 

I  took  her  in  my  arms  ;  she  lay  quite  still 
and  murmured  in  my  ear  : 

*  How  sweet  it  were  ever  to  seem, 
Falling  asleep  in  a  half  dream  ; 
To  dream  and  dream  like  yonder  amber  light, 
That  will  not  leave  the  myrrh  bush  on  the  height, 
To  hear  each  other's  whispered  speech.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  147 

'  Tell  me  your  tales  of  fairy  land.'  She  closed 
her  eyes.  I  laid  my  lips  close  to  her  ear. 

c  Once  upon  a  time,'  I  said, c  long,  long  ago, 
life  was  more  rude  than  it  is  now  ;  there  was 
but  little  civilisation  and  no  factories.  Yet 
men  were  happier  than  they  are  now,  because 
they  saw  the  truth.  They  saw  how  the  world 
was,  and  they  knew  God.  They  knew  that 
God  was  not  in  some  heaven,  but  in  this 
world,  that  He  lived  in  the  stars,  the  sun,  in 
all  life  there  is  ;  that  He  walked  in  the  waters 
and  the  wind  ;  that  all  life,  no  matter  what 
nor  where,  was  His,  was  Him.  They  knew 
that  God  lived  in  the  world,  which  was  His 
garment,  that  your  soul  and  mine  are  particles 
of  Him. 

They  saw  this,  how,  I  know  not,  but  they 
saw  and  said  it.  They  spoke  in  simple  lan- 
guage, for  their  words  were  few,  and  they  used 
imagery.  They  said  there  was  spirit  in  the 
sun,  in  clouds  and  winds,  that  there  were 
naiads  in  the  streams,  and  fauns  in  all  the 
forests.  That  was  their  way  of  saying  that 
the  world  is  all  alive.  They  felt  the  life  in 
all  things.  All  men  saw  this,  because  it's 
true.  Their  fairy  tales  are  true.' 

She  opened  eyes  of  wonder  on  me  as  I  spoke. 

'  Do  not  you  know  and  feel  it 's  true  ? '  I 
said.  '  Look  at 

"  the  golden  light 
That  will  not  leave  the  myrrh  bush  on  the  height " 


148  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

or  hear  the  river  sing  its  slumber-song.  Are 
these  dead  things  that  do  that  ? ' 

'I  know,'  she  said,  CI  know.' 

'  And  there  were  greater  seers,'  I  said,  '  who 
said  that  all  this  life,  that  which  lay  in  light, 
in  wind,  in  stream,  in  trees,  in  animals,  and 
man,  was  really  one.  Though  it  seemed  many, 
it  was  one,  one  God,  who  lived  and  made 
the  world,  His  world,  lived  in  it  as  your  soul 
in  you.' 

4  Tell  on,'  she  said. 

'They  knew  too  that  this  Soul,  this  God, 
is  Love,  and  that  He  never  dies.  He  is  all 
Love  there  is.  Every  love  we  feel  is  part  of 
God.  He  is  Immortal,  and  He  works  to  make 
His  garment  more  befitting  Him,  more  beauti- 
ful for  ever.  Our  souls  are  part  of  God,  and 
this  world  is  our  world  for  ever.' 

'  Why  did  they  ever  forget  so  wonderful  a 
truth  ? '  she  said. 

'  Priests  tried  to  kill  it,  priests  of  all  kinds.' 

'  Is  it  all  dead  ?  ' 

'  No,  no,'  I  said,  '  truth  never  dies.  It  rises 
ever  anew,  despite  those  who  would  slay  it. 
Look  in  this  country.  They  have  no  priests, 
and  therefore  they  see  this  truth  and  they  are 
happy.  Francis  d'Assisi  saw  it,  and  many 
others.  It  will  rise  again.  Truth  never  dies. 
It  sleeps  maybe  a  while  and  rises.' 

'  Thank  you,'  she  said,  '  my  husband,'  and 
she  closed  her  eyes  in  happiest  thought  and 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  149 

sleep.  I  felt  her  heart  beat  unto  mine  and  her 
warm  glow  come  into  me. 

I  did  not  sleep.  Thoughts  came  and  went 
within  my  brain,  thoughts  of  this  truth  so 
obvious  and  so  simple,  thoughts  of  the  foolish- 
ness of  men.  Priests  try  to  kill  it,  that  they 
may  make  themselves  as  God.  Think  of  it, 
think  of  it. 

And  scientific  men  try  to  kill  it.  Why,  I 
do  not  know,  perhaps  out  of  sheer  blindness. 

Yet  if  they  saw  their  own  science  truly  they 
would  know  that  this  is  true.  They  work 
out  a  scheme  of  evolution  in  details  more  or 
less  true,  and  do  not  see  that  by  the  very  fact 
that  they  postulate  the  evolution  of  all  things 
they  postulate  a  soul  in  all  things.  Evolution 
is  movement  towards  the  accomplishment  of  a 
purpose  ;  can  energy  do  that  ?  Action  and 
reaction  of  energy  are  equal.  The  law  of  all 
energy  is  to  dissipate  itself,  to  make  an  equili- 
brium where  there  is  neither  heat  nor  cold 
nor  light  nor  dark  nor  anything  at  all.  The 
power  that  counterbalances  this  and  concen- 
trates energy  again  is  life.  Nothing  but  Life 
does  this.  If,  then,  after  immemorial  time 
the  sun  still  shines,  the  water  flows,  the 
breezes  move,  it  is  because  in  them  is  Life. 
Nothing  could  be  more  certain  than  this 
truth,  that  Life,  in  some  way  we  do  not 
understand,  permeates  and  inhabits  all  things, 
has  created  all  things  and  maintains  them. 


1 50  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

Are  scientific  men  but  bats  and  moles  that 
they  cannot  see  the  inevitable  conclusion  of 
their  own  premises  ?  Can  they  not  see  that 
the  legends  and  the  fairy  tales  of  the  old 
world  that  they  denounce  as  falsehoods  are  the 
truest  of  the  true  ? 

Priests  and  scientific  men,  not  science,  are 
both  the  same  in  this  ;  they  cannot  see  the 
truth  that  lies  before  them.  They  dare  not, 
they  have  closed  their  eyes.  Priests  banish 
God,  and  scientific  men  deny  Him.  Yet  God 
lives  in  this  world.  He  is  the  World  Soul. 
All  things  are  but  His  garment,  that  ever 
changing  dress,  that  through  death  is  ever 
young.  It  changes,  and  is  in  itself  nothing, 
therefore  the  East  has  called  it  maya  or 
illusion,  because  of  its  want  of  permanence. 
What  lives  is  Life,  that  makes  this  garment 
for  itself  to  wear  in  fashions  changing  to- 
wards a  far-off,  dreamed  perfection.  But  the 
Life  is  God,  and  God  is  Love  unchangeable 
for  ever — in  this  world. 

The  Greeks  saw  this  as  all  early  people  did 
before  their  eyes  were  blinded — and  they  said 
it  beautifully.  But  no  one  now  can  read  their 
legends.  Truth  has  departed  from  us,  and 
there  is  no  truth  within  us  to  echo  to  that  in 
the  legends.  Yet  consider  this.  In  the  be- 
ginning the  Titans,  Oceanus,  and  Tithys,  that 
is,  pure  elemental  forces,  ruled  the  sea,  but  they 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  151 

were  conquered  by  Neptune  and  Amphitrite. 
A  soul  had  come  into  the  sea — and  is  there 
still — for  all  who  look  under  the  surface. 

'  Great  God,  I  'd  rather  be 

A  Pagan,  suckled  in  a  creed  outworn, 
So  might  I,  standing  on  this  pleasant  lea, 

Have  glimpses  that  would  make  me  less  forlorn, 
Have  sight  of  Proteus  rising  from  the  sea, 

And  hear  old  Triton  blow  his  wreathed  horn.' 

Well,  he  that  hath  eyes  to  see  and  ears  to 
hear,  he  still  can  see  and  hear. 


CHAPTER    XI 


'  The  stars  of  midnight  shall  be  dear 
To  her,  and  she  shall  bend  her  car 
In  many  a  secret  place, 
Where  rivulets  have  their  wayward  round  ; 
And  beauty  born  of  murmuring  sound 
Shall  pass  into  her  face.' 


WORDSWORTH. 


XI 

E  wake  at  last,  as  it  is  time  to 
go  back  to  the  raft,  but  when 
we  come  down  to  the  river 
the  boat  is  gone. 

I  look  at  my  husband,  and  he 
looks  at  me  ;  dismay  is  in  my  face,  in  his  a 
mixture  of  surprise  and  amusement.  Then  he 
looks  up  and  down  along  the  river.  There  is 
the  mark  of  her  bows  where  she  was  beached 
on  the  sand,  but  no  sign  whatever  of  the 
Water-Insect  herself.  The  river  is  perfectly 
bare,  no  boat  nor  anything  in  sight.  A 
sense  of  the  most  profound  desolation  comes 
over  me. 

He  only  gives  a  whistle. 

'  What  do  you  think  has  happened  ? '  I 
ask.  '  Has  some  one  stolen  it  ? ' 

He  shakes  his  head.  '  No  one  would  steal 
it.  The  boat  would  be  useless  to  any  one 
except  me.  No  Burman  could  manage  it. 
Their  boats  are  quite  different. ' 

c  What,  then,  has  happened  ? ' 


156  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  I  can  only  suppose,'  he  says,  looking 
whimsically  at  me,  c  that  she  was  so  upset  by 
the  way  you  treated  her  that  she  has  lost  her 
head  and  bolted.' 

4  Oh  don't,'  I  say,  catching  his  arm,  '  don't 
make  fun  of  me.  I  am  nearly  crying  as  it  is.' 

For  I  am  frightened.  Never  before  have  I 
been  lost.  In  England  you  couldn't  get  lost 
if  you  tried.  Never  before  have  I  been  home- 
less and  seen  no  prospect  of  getting  home. 
The  raft  must  be  twenty  miles  ahead.  It 
passed  when  we  were  at  lunch.  And  there  is 
no  village  in  sight,  nothing  but  hills  and  forest. 
Where  shall  we  have  dinner  and  sleep  ? 

4  How  did  it  happen  ? '  I  ask  again. 

4 1  think,'  he  says  seriously,  '  that  there  was 
one  of  those  sudden  rises  of  the  river  of  which 
I  know  no  explanation.  It  will  rise  or  fall 
sometimes  a  foot  or  so,  just  like  a  tide,  and  then 
return  to  its  former  level.  Perhaps  these  rises 
are  caused  by  earthquakes,  of  which  there  are 
many  here,  which  you  do  not  notice,  or  there 
may  be  some  other  explanation.  I  think  the 
river  rose,  floated  the  boat  away,  and  fell  again.' 

4  And  what  are  we  to  do  ? ' 

'  Well,'  he  says,  '  let 's  sit  down  and  think 
it  out.' 

We  sit  down  upon  the  highest  part  of  the 
sand-bank,  so  that  we  can  watch  the  river  and 
see  anything  that  passes.  But  there  is  nothing, 
only  the  early  evening  light  on  hill,  on  forest, 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  157 

and  on  river.  We  might  be  the  only  people 
in  the  world. 

'  We  are  shipwrecked,'  he  says,  '  only  in  a 
totally  new  way.  Our  ship  has  not  foundered, 
only  abandoned  us  ;  we  are  on  a  river,  not  a  sea, 
and  you  are  with  me.  I  never  heard  of  a  man 
being  shipwrecked  with  his  bride  before.  It  is 
a  great  improvement  on  the  old  method.' 

'  Not  for  the  bride,'  I  say. 

'  Would  you  have  me  shipwrecked  alone  ? ' 
he  asks. 

'  No,  no,'  I  say,  c  if  anything  is  to  happen  to 
you,  let  it  happen  to  me  too,  now  and  always.' 

He  pats  my  arm.  '  Nothing  more  serious 
than  perhaps  a  night  *a  la  belle  etoile  can  happen 
to  either  of  us,'  he  answers. 

'  What  must  we  do  ?  ' 

4  Well,  we  must  do  the  proper  thing,'  he 
says.  '  When  people  are  shipwrecked,  there  is 
a  certain  orthodox  routine  that  they  must 
follow.  At  least,  all  the  best  authorities  do  so, 
and  in  such  a  strait  we  must  not  be  unorthodox. 
Robinson  Crusoe  and  The  Swiss  Family  Robinson 
are  the  text-books  on  such  matters.  Let  us 
follow  them.' 

'  I  have  forgotten  what  they  did.' 

He  wrinkles  up  his  forehead  to  recall  his 
boyhood's  memories.  *  First  we  must  rejoice 
at  having  escaped  where  so  many  were  lost.' 

'  No  one  is  lost  but  us,'  I  say  dolefully,  *  and 
we  haven't  escaped  yet.' 


158  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

4  No,  so  we  had  better  omit  that  for  the 
present.  The  next  is  to  reconnoitre  our 
neighbourhood.' 

4  We  have  done  that  already  :  a  sand-bank, 
a  river,  and  any  quantity  of  forest  is  all 
there  is.' 

4  Satisfactory  so  far.  Lots  of  water  to  drink. 
Our  predecessors  had  difficulty  about  that. 
Next  we  take  an  inventory  of  our  possessions, 
first  of  our  clothes.' 

4  A  bathing-suit,  a  dressing-gown,  a  straw 
hat,  and  sandals  for  each,'  I  say  tragically. 
'  Also  two  rugs.' 

*  Not   a  very   dressy   set-out,   but    enough. 
Now  for  provisions.' 

4  The  remains  of  our  lunch,'  I  say. 

*  Two  cold  snipe  ;  some  fruit  ;  half  a  bottle 
of  wine  and  some  biscuits  :  those  for  both  of 
us  ;  six  cigars  for  me  and  one  cigarette  for  you. 
For  implements — two  table-knives,  two  forks, 
two  spoons,  some  plates,  two  tumblers  and  a 
corkscrew.' 

'  Oh,'  I  say,  *  what  use  is  a  corkscrew  with- 
out bottles  ? ' 

4  Can't  tell  yet,'  he  answers.  4  Crusoe  would 
have  found  a  use  for  it,  therefore  we  must. 
Is  there  no  more  ? ' 

4  Nothing.' 

He  looks  at  me  reproachfully.  4  Lesbia,' 
he  says,  4you  are  not  playing  fair.  You 
are  concealing  and  keeping  for  your  own 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  159 

use  implements  that  should  be  put  into  the 
common  stock.' 

'  I  'm  not,'  I  say  indignantly. 

'  You  are,'  he  affirms.  '  You  have  some  iron 
wire  that  will  do  excellently  for  fish-hooks.' 

For  a  moment  I  am  puzzled  ;  then  I  say, 
'  My  hairpins  ? ' 

He  nods. 

4  You  can't  have  them,'  I  say  briefly  ;  '  they 
are  private  property.' 

He  sighs  resignedly.  '  Then  our  inventory 
is  finished.  It  only  remains  now  to  make  a 
resolution.' 

c  What  resolution  ? ' 

'To  stay  here  till  we  are  rescued.' 

As  there  isn't  anywhere  to  go,  for  I  couldn't 
walk  through  the  forest,  such  a  resolution  seems 
to  me  superfluous.  However,  he  says  it  will 
calm  our  minds  to  take  it,  so  we  do.  Then 
we  carry  it  out.  We  sit  and  watch  the  river. 

c  What  will  become  of  the  raft  ? '  I  ask. 

'  I  told  Po  Chon  to  go  on  to  a  certain  village 
about  twenty-five  miles  below,  and  if  we  hadn't 
rejoined  by  then  to  stop  there  till  we  did.  He 
will  not  know  that  we  have  lost  the  boat.' 

'  What  will  become  of  the  boat  ? ' 

'  Who  knows  ?  It  may  strand  anywhere  or 
go  floating  on.' 

'  What  will  become  of  us  ? ' 

'  Some  boat  will  pass  and  take  us  off",  you 
may  be  sure  of  that.  I  don't  know  why  the 


160  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

river  is  so  deserted  just  now.     Generally  there 
are  boats  in  sight  all  day.' 

He  seems  so  calm,  so  confident,  so  determined 
to  take  it  as  a  joke  that  I  give  in.  I  must 
trust  him,  and  I  feel  I  can.  But  for  better 
company  I  sit  close  up  to  him,  leaning  against 
him.  He  feels  so  strong,  so  calm. 

c  This  is  the  way,'  he  says,  '  that  Spot  and 
Lady  sit.' 

So  it  is.  I  have  often  seen  them  in  the 
bows  sitting  together  like  this.  And  after  all 
there  is  a  common  nature  runs  through  all  of 
us  ;  all  life  is  in  its  essentials  one. 

The  day  draws  on  towards  its  ending.  Skeins 
of  wild  duck  and  geese  pass  down  the  river. 
Egrets  and  cranes  desert  their  fishing  stands 
and  travel  inland,  long  flights  of  parrots  pass. 
The  day's  work  is  done  and  everything  goes 
home — but  us. 

The  shadows  rise  and  spread  and  still  no  boat. 

At  last  a  big  one  passes.  But  it  is  far  away 
by  the  other  bank,  and  they  do  not  hear  or  do 
not  heed  our  shouts.  The  crew  are,  he  says, 
no  doubt  at  supper  in  the  well  of  the  boat,  and 
cannot  hear  nor  see.  It  drifts  along,  and  soon 
is  out  of  sight.  The  solitude  becomes  more 
still  and  the  dusk  comes. 

c  Lesbia,'  he  says,  '  it 's  time  for  supper,  then 
to  bed.' 

'  There  's  not  much  supper,'  I  say,  'and  there 
is  no  bed.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  161 

'  The  bed  has  to  be  made/  he  answers ;  '  I 
will  go  and  get  the  bedding.  Will  you  stay 
here  ? ' 

'  Where  are  you  going  ? '  I  ask,  alarmed. 

'  Only  to  the  forest.  You  will  be  all  right 
here.  You  aren't  afraid.' 

'  No-o,'  I  say,  '  I  am  not  afraid.  But  I 
think  I  '11  come  with  you  all  the  same.' 

'Then  come  along.' 

We  go  to  the  forest  edge,  and  with  a  table- 
knife  he  cuts  dry  grass  and  moss  and  ferns  and 
makes  two  big  bundles.  One  he  lifts  on  to 
my  head,  the  other  he  carries  on  his  shoulder. 
So  laden,  we  return  and  find  a  sheltered  hollow 
in  the  sand. 

'This  is  our  bedroom,'  he  declares,  'and  I 
will  be  the  housemaid  and  make  the  bed.' 

He  sets  to  work  to  dig  out  the  dry  sand  and 
make  a  trough.  He  does  it  with  his  hands 
exactly  as  Spot  digs  a  hole  after  a  rat.  It 
makes  me  laugh  to  watch  him.  When  it  is 
finished,  he  lines  this  with  the  grass  and  ferns, 
the  moss  he  places  for  a  pillow.  Then  he 
spreads  one  of  our  rugs  upon  the  grass. 

'  Behold  your  bed,  madam,'  he  says,  '  and 
now  for  supper.' 

We  eat  the  remains  of  our  lunch  with'appe- 
tite,  drink  the  rest  of  the  wine,  and  feel  much 
comforted.  Then  as  a  cool  breeze  begins  to 
pass  it 's  time  for  bed. 

I  go  to  bed  first  and  he  comes  in  beside  me, 

L 


1 62  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

We  spread  the  other  rug  over  us  and  pull  down 
more  grass  and  dry,  warm  sand  to  cover  us  up. 
We  are  as  warm  and  cosy  as  can  be,  as  close, 
as  close.  The  stars  are  watching  us  and  laugh. 
How  big  the  stars  are  here,  not  like  the  tiny 
diamond  points  of  northern  skies,  but  great 
bright  jewels  hung  low  down  in  the  immensity. 
Orion,  proud  of  his  glorious  belt,  is  on  the 
horizon,  and  overhead  the  Pleiades.  I  count 
them  and  make  thirteen. 

'  Are  you  quite  comfortable  ?  * 

<  Yes.' 

'  And  are  you  sleepy  ? ' 
'  I  shall  never  be  able  to  sleep,'  I  say,  '  with 
all  these  eyes  upon  me.' 

<  No  ? ' 

Two  owls  come  past  and  cry  '  Zee-gwet, 
zee-gwet,'  and  flit  away  into  the  dark.  A 
sudden  fear  comes  over  me.  My  heart 
grows  cold  ;  my  hold  about  my  husband 
tightens. 

'  Listen,'  I  say,  '  there  's  something  that 
moves.' 

He  listens  and  shakes  his  head.  c  It  is 
the  ripple  on  the  beach.  What  did  you 
fear?' 

'Tigers.' 

4  They  will  not  come,'  he  says. 

'  You  are  sure  ?  ' 

'  Quite  sure.' 

4  We  are  quite  safe  ?  ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  163 

'As  safe  as  on  the  raft.' 

But  still  I  do  not  feel  inclined  for  sleep. 
The  great  spaces  of  the  night  trouble  me.  I 
want  four  walls  to  shut  me  in.  I  cannot  even 
shut  my  eyes. 

'  Yes,'  he  says  when  I  tell  him,  '  I  was 
like  that.  But  now  I  am  accustomed 
to  the  night.  I  love  the  stars  ;  I  have 
slept  out  so  often  ;  but  never  like  this — like 
this.' 

'Tell  me  another  tale,'  I  say,  'to  make  me 
sleep.' 

'  Baby  of  mine,'  he  laughs. 

But  I  insist,  and  at  last  he  says :  '  Have 
you  ever  read  the  story  of  "  The  Sleeping 
Beauty  "  ? ' 

'  Of  course  I  have,'  I  answer.  '  As  a  child 
I  read  it  in  a  fairy  book,  and  I  have  read 
"The  Day  Dream."' 

'  And  understood  it  ? ' 

'  What  is  there  to  understand  ?  It  is  a 
fairy  story,  that  is  all.' 

'It  is  a  legend,  true,'  he  says,  '  of  all  the 
world,  of  every  woman  that  has  ever  lived  or 
will  live.' 

'  Then  true  of  me  ? ' 

'  Most  true  of  you,'  he  says. 

I  lie  a  moment  thinking  silently.  'Tell 
me  the  tale,'  I  say. 

He  tells  it  me,  dropping  the  words  into  my 
ear  like  soft  music. 


1 64  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  The  charmed  wood,'  he  says,  '  is  a  girl's 
heart,  where  all  passions  sleep,  where  no  wind 
ever  moves,  where  understanding  never  comes. 
To  a  girl's  eyes  the  world  is  meaningless  ;  she 
has  not  felt  the  purpose  of  the  world  nor 
heard  its  music.  Evil  and  good  are  words — 
but  words — and  life  and  death.  Nothing  can 
reach  her  shut  in  that  enchanted  wood.  The 
world  is  but  a  dream  to  her  because  she  does 
not  understand.' 

I  nod.     '  Yes,  it  is  so,'  I  whisper. 

'  Until  into  that  wood,  her  heart,  there 
comes  a  Prince.' 

1  A  Prince,'  I  cry,  *  with  joyful  eyes 
And  fleeter  footed  than  the  fox.' 

He  laughs.  '  You  know  the  story  now  ? 
Then  tell  it  me.' 

'  I  know,  I  know,'  I  say.  '  Yes,  it  is  true. 
The  Prince  comes  in  and  takes  her.' 

'  Where  ? ' 

4  Into  the  world,'  I  answer.  c  She  goes 
with  him  wherever  he  leads  her  : 

"  And  on  her  lover's  arm  she  leant, 

And  round  her  waist  she  felt  it  fold, 
And  far  across  the  hills  they  went 

In  that  new  world — which  is  the  old  : 

Across  the  hills  and  far  away, 
Beyond  their  utmost  purple  rim, 

Beyond  the  night,  across  the  day 

Thro'  all  the  world  she  followed  him." ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  165 

I  feel  his  arms  close  closer  round  me.  4  Go 
on,'  he  says,  '  and  tell  me  what  she  sees.' 

4  It  is  the  same  old  world,'  I  say  ;  4  the  hills, 
the  woods,  the  people  are  the  same.  Yet  the 
world  is  new,  because  she  sees  into  its  heart  ; 
she  loves,  she  knows,  she  understands.  Her 
heart  beats  now  through  his,  with  the  world's 
heart ;  the  love  that  made  all  things,  that  is 
all  things,  eternal  in  the  world,  awakes  within 
her.' 

c  It  is  her,'  he  says,  '  her  real  self.' 

4  It  is  her  soul,'  I  say. 

4  It  is  in  all  the  world,'  he  answers.  4  Sweet- 
heart, look  up  to  the  stars.  Are  you  now 
afraid  of  them  ? ' 

I  am  not.  They  are  eyes  that  laugh  in 
answer  to  my  laugh,  that  love  as  I  love  too. 

4  They  are  God's  eyes,'  I  say.  '  I  love 
them.' 

4  Now  look  at  me,'  he  says. 

I  look  at  him. 

1  Your  eyes  too  are  God's  eyes,'  he  says, 
4  for  love  shines  in  them  and  all  love  is 
God.' 

I  sleep — and  wake  sometimes,  feeling  afraid 
of  the  strangeness  all  about. 

I  move  and  touch  him,  and  I  see  the  stars 
above.  I  sleep  again. 

In  the  early  dawn  I  wake  again  and  see  the 
pearly  light  growing  upon  the  mountains  far 


1 66 


LOVE'S  LEGEND 


above.     I  see  the  stars  grow  dim — and  sleep 
again. 

'  And  o'er  them  many  a  sliding  star 

And  many  a  merry  wind  was  borne, 
And  streamed  through  many  a  golden  bar 
The  twilight  melted  into  morn.' 


CHAPTER   XII 


'  I  have  fought  my  fight,  I  have  lived  my  life, 

I  have  drunk  my  share  of  wine  : 
From  Trier  to  Coin  there  was  never  a  knight 

Led  a  merrier  life  than  mine.' 

KINGSLEY. 


XII 


WAS  aware  through  my  closed 
eyelids  that  the  dawn  was 
come  and  that  it  was  time  to 
get  up,  but  I  didn't  feel  in- 
clined to  move.  For  one 
thing  there  was  nothing  to  get 
up  for,  no  clothes  to  dress  in,  no  tea  to  drink, 
and  then  Lesbia  was  still  asleep. 

I  had  experience  that  she  did  not  like  to  be 
woke  up  too  early.  I  had  no  idea  that  any  one 
could  be  so  lazy  as  Lesbia,  so  ready  to  go  to  bed 
early  and  get  up  late  as  she  is.  She  liked  put- 
ting out  the  candle  at  both  ends.  I  disapproved 
of  that,  but  my  disapproval  didn't  affect  her  as  it 
should,  and  by  experience  I  knew  she  made  re- 
prisals. I  was  beginning  to  have  a  great  respect 
for  Lesbia.  So  I  lay  still. 

Then  I  heard  a  sound,  at  first  it  was  a  very 
faint  and,  distant  sound,  but  growing  gradually 
nearer  and  clearer.  It  was  a  footstep  coming 
along  the  sand. 

It  approached,  it  stopped,  and  the  clear 
morning  silence  was  broken  by  a  laugh,  a 


1 70  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

cheery,  mellow,  mirth-provoking  chuckle  that 
rumbled  within  some  capacious  chest  and  woke 
me  up  completely. 

I  opened  my  eyes,  and  there  before  me  stood 
a  man.  He  was  a  big  strong  man,  his  attitude 
was  careless,  his  legs  were  well  apart,  one  hand 
held  a  gun,  the  other  rested  on  his  hip.  His 
face  was  round  and  ruddy,  his  eye  was  blue, 
and  on  his  lips  there  lay  the  ripple  of  a  laugh 
as  of  a  happy,  brave,  and  careless  nature 
bubbling  to  the  surface. 

He  looked  at  me  and  I  at  him. 

'  Hallo  ! '  I  said. 

'  Hallo  !  '  he  answered.  '  This  is  a  surprise. 
It 's  Gallic.' 

'Just  so,'  I  said.  c  It 's  me.  That 's  natural 
enough,  but  what  are  you  doing  here  ? ' 

He  looked  at  me  and  then  at  Lesbia  asleep, 
then  back  at  me  again.  From  me  his  glance 
passed  over  the  sand-bank  and  back. 

'  Hum  !     Natural,  did  you  say  ?  '  he  asked. 

'  The  most  natural  thing  in  life,'  I  answered, 
4  that  I  am  here.  But  you  !  that  is  another 
matter.  Why,  when  I  said  "  Good-bye  "  to 
you  last  it  was  in  Paris.' 

'  True,'  and  he  nodded.  c  We  had  dined  in 
a  restaurant  on  the  "  Boul  Mich  "  and  after 
dinner  .  .  .' 

'Then  what  do  you  mean,'  I  interposed 
hastily,  c  by  turning  up  like  this  without  notice 
on  a  sand-bank  in  the  middle  of  Asia  ? ' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  171 

e  Well/  he  replied  reflectively,  '  it  is  like 
this.  I  return  from  leave,  I  am  posted  to 
Upper  Burma,  I  take  ten  days'  holiday  at 
Christmas-time  for  a  shoot  along  the  river. 
I  leave  my  camp  before  the  dawn  to  seek  for 
wild  geese  and  duck.  I  travel  down  the  river 
in  a  boat.  I  pass  a  sand-bank.  It  seems  quite  an 
ordinary  bank,  no  notice  up  nor  anything  to 
distinguish  it  from  other  banks.  But  I  see 
upon  that  sand  two  objects.' 

'  Objects  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Objects,'  he  answered,  '  of  natural  history. 
Round  objects,  one  dark,  one  golden-red.  I 
look  at  them  but  cannot  make  them  out. 
They  say  "  It 's  ghosts."  I  say  "  It 's  geese, 
two  totally  new  geese,  or  perhaps  pheasants, 
one  very  fine  in  plumage."  So  I  take  my  gun 
and  land  to  add  them  to  my  collection.' 

c  Most  kind  of  you,'  I  said. 

c  Don't  mention  it.  When  I  come  near, 
the  objects  resolve  themselves  into  two  heads 
belonging  apparently  to  human  beings  buried 
in  the  sand.  They  seem  to  be  perfectly  alive.' 

'  We  're  quite  alive,'  I  answered.  One  of 
us  was  also  kicking  at  intervals,  but  I  didn't 
mention  that. 

'  The  short  plumaged  bird  turns  out  to  be 
a  man,  an  old  friend  of  mine  named  Gallio. 
The  golden  pheasant ' 

'  Is  Mrs.  Gallio.' 

He  bowed  in  stately  fashion.     '  Accept  my 


172  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

best  congratulations.  I  did  not  know  that 
you  were  married.' 

'  Since  three  days  ago,'  I  answered. 

I  wondered  why  Lesbia  kicked  specially 
hard  just  then. 

'  And  you  have  chosen  this  sand-bank  to 
spend  your  honeymoon  on  ?  Most  natural  I 
admit.  Have  you  bought  it,  or  only  rented 
it  for  a  time  ? ' 

'  Neither,'  I  answered. 

'  Merely  annexed  it.  I  see.  I  think  you 
might  introduce  me,  Gallic.' 

'  My  wife  is  asleep,'  I  answered.  '  You  can 
see  that  for  yourself.  It 's  obvious.' 

It  certainly  was  obvious,  on  the  surface. 
Her  eyes  were  closed,  her  face  half  hidden  by 
her  arms,  her  lips  half  parted.  But  whether 
the  sleep  extended  far  down  into  Lesbia  I  had 
my  doubts.  It  didn't  seem  to  affect  her  legs, 
for  instance. 

'You  should  put  up  a  name-board,'  he 
suggested,  'to  keep  off  intruders.' 

'  It  is  not  necessary,'  I  answered.  '  We  do 
not  own  this  bank.  In  fact,  although  we 
may  seem  to  you  and  even  to  ourselves  to 
be  here  established  in  this  sand,  we  aren't. 
Appearances  are  deceptive.  We  are  really 
nowhere.' 

The  Cavalier  stared.  '  What,  nowhere  ? 
You  are  not  anywhere  at  all.' 

'Just  so  ;  we  are  lost,'  I  explained. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  173 

His  surprise  turned  to  a  look  of  deepest 
sympathy.  '  What  !  Lost  ? ' 

e  Certainly.     L-o-s-t  lost,  you  know.' 

'  But  how  lost  ?     Who  lost  you  ? ' 

'  We  lost  ourselves,  or  rather,'  I  corrected, 
6  OUT  boat  lost  us.  We  are  two  shipwrecked 
mariners  in  fact. 

He  stared  about  over  the  sands.  '  I  see  no 
shipwreck/ 

'  Well,'  I  said,  '  never  mind,'  for  I  felt  a 
vigorous  nudge.  c  I  '11  tell  you  afterwards. 
It 's  our  time  for  getting  up.  If  you  '11  go 
back  to  your  boat,  we  '11  soon  come  down  and 
join  you.  Perhaps  you  can  give  us  tea.' 

4 1  can,'  he  said. 

'And  a  lift  to  somewhere.' 

c  With  the  greatest  pleasure.' 

c  Then  au  revoir,'  I  said. 

His  laugh  came  back,  he  glanced  from  me 
to  sleeping  Lesbia,  took  off  his  hat  and  made 
a  sweeping  bow,  then  said  : 

'  I  will  await  you.  And  I  look  forward  to 
make  Mrs.  Gallic's  acquaintance.'  Then  he 
marched  away. 

As  soon  as  his  broad  back  was  turned, 
Lesbia  opened  one  eye,  and  cautiously  recon- 
noitred with  it.  Seeing  that  the  coast  was 
clearing  fast  she  opened  the  other,  and  then 
said  quickly  : 

'  Who  's  that  ? ' 

'  An  old  friend  of  mine.     He  's  Irish.' 


174  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  He  reminds  me  of  some  one.     Who  ? ' 

'The  Laughing  Cavalier.' 

Her  face  lit  up.  '  And  so  he  is,  just  like. 
How  awful.' 

It  was  quite  evident  that  her  second  sentence 
didn't  follow  the  first.  It  was  a  consequent 
without  apparent  precedent.  I  was  aware  that 
Lesbia's  mind  worked  like  that  sometimes,  but 
mine  was  not  agile  enough  to  follow,  so  I  had 
to  ask  : 

'  In  what  way  awful  ? ' 

'  For  him  to  find  us  here.' 

'  Not  awful  at  all,'  I  answered.  '  Where 
would  you  have  him  find  us  ?  If  he  found  us 
anywhere  he  was  bound  to  find  us  here.  He 
couldn't  discover  us  in  a  place  where  we  were 
not.' 

But  Lesbia  only  gave  me  a  glance  of  pure 
contempt. 

'  Besides,  he  never  discovered  you  at  all. 
You  were  pretending  to  be  asleep,'  I  added. 

I  don't  know  what  there  was  in  this  simple 
and  true  remark  to  make  Lesbia  furious.  I 
can't  think  what  she  thought  she  gained  by 
pretending  to  be  asleep  when  it  was  quite 
obvious  she  wasn't.  Here  was  another  respect 
in  which  Lesbia's  mind  was  unfathomable  to 
me.  I  had  some  idea  that  Lesbia  thought 
there  would  have  been  something  embarrassing 
in  the  Cavalier's  finding  us  in  our  sand-bed  but 
for  her  presence  of  mind  in  pretending  to  be 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  175 

asleep.  That  saved  the  situation.  Anyhow, 
her  eyes  flashed  fire,  but  she  was  silent. 

4  Why  did  you  kick  so  much  ? '  I  asked. 

4  Why  did  you  want  to  tell  him  we  were 
just  married  ? '  she  replied. 

4  Because  it 's  true,'  I  answered  simply. 

4  As  if  that  were  any  reason,'  she  muttered 
to  herself.  '  How  like  a  man.' 

All  this  time  I  was  getting  up,  pulling  out 
grass  and  sand  and  rugs,  and,  finally,  Lesbia. 
It 's  always  a  labour  to  get  Lesbia  out  of  bed. 
But  at  last  I  got  her  loose  and  stood  her  up, 
and  then  I  looked  at  her. 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  'you  are  untidy.' 

She  examined  herself  as  best  she  could  with- 
out a  glass,  both  back  and  front.  She  saw  the 
sand  and  leaves  upon  her  cloak,  she  felt  the 
mosses  in  her  hair. 

And  then  she  turned  on  me. 

4  You  are  no  better,'  she  said. 

4  No  ;  but  I  think  I  bear  it  better,'  I 
answered  mildly.  *  I  can  carry  it  off.  You 
can't.  I  am  not  so  dependent  on  my  appearance.' 

She  thought  a  minute.  *  Go  down,'  she 
said,  '  and  borrow  from  your  friend  two  towels, 
some  soap,  a  clothes-brush  and  a  hair-brush, 
and  come  back.  I  suppose  he  has  such  things, 
even  if  he  is  an  old  Master  and  just  descended 
from  a  frame.' 

4 1  expect  he  has,'  I  answered.  4  Anything 
more  ? ' 


176  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  A  looking-glass.' 

'  Your  vanity  carries  you  away,'  I  remon- 
strated. 

c  I  won't  go  to  the  boat  unless  you  bring 
them,'  she  declared,  and  sat  down  determinedly 
upon  the  sand.  '  I  'd  sooner  stay  here  until  I 
die  than  go  like  this.' 

So,  as  I  didn't  wish  that  Lesbia  should  die 
for  want  of  such  trifles,  I  went  down  and 
borrowed  the  things.  When  I  came  back,  she 
gave  me  orders. 

'  Brush  me,'  she  said. 

I  brushed  her. 

4  Now  go  and  wet  one  towel  and  wash  my 
face  and  hands.' 

I  washed  them.  I  liked  washing  them, 
they  were  so  pretty  and  so  soft. 

'  Now  brush  my  hair.' 

She  sat  down  on  a  rug  and  turned  her  back 
to  me.  When  she  let  down  her  hair  it  fell 
like  molten  gold  about  her  shoulders  and  her 
back.  I  brushed.  It  seemed  to  thrill  my 
every  nerve  as  I  stroked  and  straightened  it. 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  'my  dream  is  now  fulfilled.' 

'  What  dream  ? ' 

1  You  remember  I  told  you  about  red  hair.' 
But  she  only  sniffed. 

I  could  have  brushed  for  days,  but  as  soon 
as  all  the  leaves  and  moss  were  well  brushed 
out,  and  her  hair  was  clean  and  bright,  she 
took  it  from  me.  With  those  secreted  hair- 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  177 

pins,  that  by  all  precedent  should  have  been 
fish-hooks  long  ago,  she  did  it  up  again  in  most 
mysterious  fashion.  '  Now  I  am  ready,'  she 
said. 

'  But  I  ? ' 

She  looked  at  me  and  laughed,  gave  me  a 
hasty  brush  ;  then  saying,  *  It  doesn't  matter 
about  you — you  are  a  man  and  say  that  you 
can  bear  it — I  want  my  tea,'  she  marched 
me  off. 

I  wondered  how  she  and  the  Cavalier  would 
meet  and  would  get  on.  I  would  have  liked 
that  every  one  of  my  old  friends  should  be  a 
brother  to  her  and  she  to  them  a  sister.  But 
would  she,  could  she — and  they  ? 

However,  as  regards  the  present,  my  fears 
were  soon  set  at  rest.  As  soon  as  he  saw  us 
coming,  he  came  to  meet  us,  but  neither  by 
look  nor  word  did  he  betray  that  he  had  seen 
Lesbia  before. 

'  Indade,'  he  said,  with  a  bow  and  smile, 
'  this  is  an  unexpected  pleasure.  Gallic  I 
know  of  old  ;  it  would  never  surprise  me  if 
I  met  him  anywhere.  But  to  meet  a  fairy 
princess  too — here  in  the  forest.' 

Lesbia  smiled.  '  An  unconventional  and  a 
hungry  fairy,  I  'm  afraid,'  she  said. 

'  The  better  for  that,'  he  answered,  and  led 
the  way  with  her  down  to  the  shore. 

His  second  boat  with  servants  had  arrived, 
M 


178  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

and  on  the  shore  a  table  had  been  set  out. 
A  fire  near  by  showed  there  was  cooking 
going  on. 

'  I  know  you  're  hungry  ;  I  should  be/  he 
said.  c  There 's  little  to  eat  on  sand-banks. 
Breakfast  is  ready.'  So  we  sat  down. 

It  was  an  excellent  breakfast  that  he  gave 
us,  and  we  enjoyed  it.  Lesbia,  let  me  never 
hear  you  scoff  again  at  men's  material  appetites. 
You  ate  and  ate.  The  morning  sun  shone  on 
us,  and  the  waters  sang  as  they  went  past.  The 
ceiling  of  our  breakfast-room  was  heaven,  the 
walls  were  mountains,  and  earth  was  the  floor. 

When  she  'd  finished,  she  said,  c  Thank  you 
for  such  a  meal.  And  thank  you  again  for 
coming  out  of  your  frame.' 

The  Cavalier  looked  blank.  I  don't  think 
he  knew  his  likeness. 

'  I  've  often  admired  you,'  Lesbia  continued. 
4  I  've  often  wished  I  'd  lived  in  the  times  when 
you  did.  I  never  guessed  you  'd  come  to  life 
again  and  meet  us  on  a  sand-bank  and  give  us 
breakfast.' 

c  Eh  ? '  he  said,  turning  to  me  for  help. 

4  Don't  look  to  me,'  I  answered.  '  Fight 
your  own  battles.  I  have  to.' 

'  You  looked  so  proud,'  she  continued,  '  in 
your  lace  collar.  Where  is  your  collar  gone, 
and  your  hat  ?  Only  your  laugh  remains.' 

£  Faith,'  he  said,  '  and  it 's  the  laugh  will 
follow  the  collar  soon.  What  have  I  done  ? ' 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  179 

'  Tell  him,'  I  said  ;  so  she  told  him,  and  he 
laughed  ;  then  said  in  injured  tones  : 

'  The  thafe  to  take  my  portrait  and  I  not 
looking.  Pwhat  did  ye  say  the  snap-shot 
artist  was  ? ' 

*  Franz  Hals.' 

'  Sure,  then,  I  '11  not  forget  him — in  my 
prayers.  But  tell  me  now,  where  do  you  want 
to  go  ? ' 

*  To  join  our  raft,  where  our  home  is.' 
'  Oh  !     Then  you  have  a  home  ? ' 

'  Of  course  we  have,'  said  indignant  Lesbia. 
'  Did  you  think  we  lived  always  in  bathing- 
dress  and  dressing-gown  on  sand-banks,  and 
trusted  to  chance  for  food  ? ' 

'  I  didn't  know,'  he  answered  simply.  '  I 
know  nothing  about  fairies.  I  supposed  they 
didn't  need  such  things.  Where  is  the  raft  ? ' 

'  Below  here  somewhere.  Where  are  you 
bound  for  ?  ' 

'  To  shoot  along  the  river,  and  to  Sagaing 
for  Christmas.' 

'Just  where  we  're  going,'  said  Lesbia,  'and 
Christmas  is  only  two  days  off.'  Then  with 
a  glance  at  me  :  '  Perhaps  if  a  cavalier  of  such 
renown  as  Mr.  Hals  will  accept  it,  we  could  offer 
him  some  hospitality,  as  our  way  is  the  same  as 
his.  A  breakfast  such  as  this  needs  a  requital.' 

And  so  it  was  arranged.  He  was  to  take 
us  down  the  river  to  our  raft  and  pass  the  day 
with  us.  Next  day  we  probably  would  reach 


i8o  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

Sagaing.     We  started  soon,  and  the  boatmen 
rowed  us  down  the  river. 

6  Why,  there  is  the  raft  !  '  cried  Lesbia  as 
we  turned  a  bluff. 

And  there  it  was,  moored  to  the  bank  above 
a  village.  It  looked  quite  calm  although  it 
had  lost  its  master  and  its  mistress.  A  thin 
film  of  smoke  above  the  kitchen  showed  that 
lunch  was  on  the  cook. 

'  Oh,  isn't  it  nice,'  she  said,  and  clasped 
her  hands,  '  to  see  our  home  again,  a  roof  and 
walls  and  floor,  clean  clothes,  a  chair,  a  bed.' 

'  Spoiled  child  of  an  effete  civilisation,'  I  said. 

She  only  laughed.  '  I  never  was  lost  before. 
I  never  valued  a  home  before,'  she  said,  '  as  I 
do  the  raft.' 

c  Sure,  there  's  the  Deebo  too,'  said  Hals. 

And  so  she  was,  moored  to  the  raft  as  if  she 
had  never  wandered,  never  lost  us,  never  lost  her- 
self. She  showed  no  sign  of  consciousness  that 
she  had  acted  in  any  other  way  than  a  right- 
minded  boat  should  act.  In  fact,  the  two  dogs 
were  the  only  people  that  evinced  any  pleasure 
at  our  return.  Po  Chon  received  us  with  an 
air  of  injury.  Dinner,  he  said,  last  night  had 
been  spoiled  by  our  non-appearance  ;  the  same 
with  breakfast  this  morning  ;  but  lunch  would 
be  ready  soon. 

I  looked  at  Lesbia. 

'  Make  it  for  three,'  she  said  ;  and  Po  Chon 
nodded. 


CHAPTER    XIII 


'Women  have  lovers,  but  men  have  friends.' 

GANGLER. 


XIII 

>AITH,  and  it  wasn't  without 
some  doubt  that  I  accepted  the 
Gallios'  invitation  to  spend  the 
day  and  dine  with  them.  '  Pat- 
rick, my  boy,'  says  I  to  myself, 
'  you  '11  have  to  be  very  careful. 
New-married  folk  upon  their  honeymoon  are 
as  tender  as  poached  eggs,  and  as  full  of  them- 
selves as  the  sea  is  full  of  salt.  You  '11  have 
to  walk  as  gingerly  as  if  every  toe  of  you  was 
a  corn — and  hurting.  It 's  praising  God  you 
ought  to  be  that  your  parents  made  an  Irish- 
man of  you,  and,  like  all  the  Irish,  tactful  as  a 
cat/ 

And  sure  it  was  so.  They  looked,  they 
talked,  they  lived  to  one  another,  at  one 
another.  Each  spoke  to  me  that  the  other 
might  hear,  and  when  I  spoke  he  looked  at 
her  and  she  at  him,  as  if  to  ask,  '  There,  what 
do  you  think  of  that  ? ' 

But  they  didn't  leave  me  out  neither.  It  's 
as  nice  as  nice  can  be  that  both  were  to  me. 
It  was, '  Mr.  Hals,  you  '11  take  that  easy-chair 


1 84  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

and  that  cushion  and  make  yourself  at  home. 
It  was,  '  Franz,  don't  smoke  these  black  che- 
roots of  yours.     Here  are  some  good  havanas, 
try  them,  and  have  a  drink  as  well.' 

For  its  showing  off  they  were,  each  to  the 
other,  how  good  a  host  or  hostess  he  or  she 
could  be.  I  was  their  first  guest,  and  they 
coddled  me  as  if  I  had  been  their  first  baby. 
I  don't  say  I  didn't  like  it.  But  it  was  vexing 
too.  For  each  was  saying  in  every  tone  and 
act  and  look,  not  only  to  each  other,  but  to 
me,  '  Sure  marriage  is  a  happy  state.  It 's 
heaven.  Poor  bachelor,  he  doesn't  know.  How 
ignorant  he  is  and  how  unhappy.  Let 's  open 
his  blind  eyes.' 

Each  wanted  to  drive  down  my  throat  what 
a  jewel  was  the  other.  Well,  and  I  am  not 
saying  either  was  wrong,  am  I  ?  Gallio  has 
always  been  a  friend  of  mine,  and  as  to  Mrs. 
Gallio — when  I  first  saw  her  in  her  dressing- 
gown  I  thought  her  fine,  but  when  I  saw  her 
afterwards  in  a  white  muslin  frock,  with  her 
glorious  hair  and  deep-blue  eyes,  why,  I  just 
worshipped  her.  '  If  she  's  as  nice  as  she  is 
pretty,  it 's  Gallio  that  is  the  lucky  man,' 
thinks  I. 

It  was  after  tea  that  Mrs.  Gallio  got  me. 
I  saw  she  wanted  me,  to  talk  about  her  hus- 
band to  me,  as  she  could  not  do  before  his  face. 
Gallio  was  busy  in  his  boat  with  a  carpenter 
impressed  from  a  village  we  had  passed.  The 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  185 

Deebo  had  suffered  some  damage  when  on  her 
own,  had  been  up  to  some  larks,  I  guess,  and 
left  part  of  her  false  keel  behind  her  some- 
where. So  Mrs.  Gallio  talked  to  me  while 
Gallic  worked. 

'  There 's  one  thing  I  cannot  understand,' 
says  she,  '  and  it  puzzles  me.  Perhaps,  Herr 
Hals,  you  can  explain  it.' 

'  Of  course  I  can,'  says  I. 

'  It 's  about  Po  Chon,'  says  she.  '  He  is 
my  husband's  very  old  servant,  and  devoted  to 
him.' 

'  That 's  true,'  says  I.  '  I  've  known  Po  Chon 
for  many  years,  and  a  real  good  fellow  he  is. 
There  's  nothing  he  would  not  do  for  Gallic.' 

'Yet,'  says  she,  'when  we  don't  return  last 
night  he  doesn't  seem  to  mind.  He  is  not 
anxious.  He  does  not  send  the  villagers  to 
look  for  us,  nor  come  himself.  Yet  he  knew 
some  accident  must  have  happened,  because 
the  boat  drifted  down.' 

'  Aye,  aye  ;  that 's  queer,'  says  I,  reflecting. 
'  He  didn't  seem  upset  at  all  when  we  arrived.' 

'  Not  in  the  least,'  says  she.  '  It  might  have 
been  all  according  to  arrangement.  How 's 
that  ? ' 

'  Faith,  and  I  do  not  know,'  says  I.  '  It 's 
queer.  But  here  comes  Po  Chon,  I  '11  ask  him.' 

'  Perhaps  my  husband  wouldn't  like,'  says  she. 

'  What  !  Gallio  ?  He  won't  mind.  Look 
here,  Po  Chon,'  says  I  ;  '  when  the  empty 


1 86  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

boat  drifted  back  last  night,  what  did  you 
think  had  happened.' 

'  An  accident,'  says  he. 

'  What  sort  of  accident  ? ' 

'  How  should  I  know  ? '  with  a  grunt. 

4  Did  you  suppose  that  they  were  drowned  ? ' 
asks  I. 

He  stared.  '  Drowned  ?  And  how  could 
my  Thakin  be  drowned  ? ' 

There  's  no  word  to  express  his  contempt 
and  surliness  at  such  a  question. 

'  What  does  he  say  ? '  asks  Mrs.  Gallic. 

'He  thinks  us  fools,'  says  I,  'for  supposing 
anything  could  happen  to  your  husband.' 

'  But  why  ? '  says  she.     '  Ask  him  why  ? ' 

'  It 's  fourteen  years,'  says  he,  '  since  I  have 
been  with  the  Thakin,  and  all  that  time  he 
has  been  having  accidents.  Up  there  in  the 
wild  country  the  savages  used  to  try  and  shoot 
him.  He  gets  lost  in  the  jungle  ;  he  falls  off 
his  horse  ;  he  nearly  gets  drowned  ;  he  gets 
fever  and  everything  there  is.  He  loses  all 
his  money.  He  gets  his  camp  burned,  and 
he  loses  everything  more  than  once.  He  is 
always  nearly  being  dead.' 

'  And  never  is  quite  ?  *  asks  I. 

c  No  !  '  says  Po  Chon  with  scorn. 

4  Why  not  ? ' 

Po  Chon  has  been  clearing  away  the  tea- 
things  and  putting  the  furniture  right.  He  talks 
usually  with  his  head  down,  as  if  shy  or  sulky, 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  187 

in  short,  curt  sentences.  But  at  this  question  of 
mine  he  looks  up  fully  in  my  face  astonished. 

'  Because  of  what  's  written  on  his  face,'  says 
he. 

'  My  husband's  face,'  says  Mrs.  Gallic,  clasp- 
ing her  hands,  when  I  translate.  t  What  is  it 
that 's  written  on  his  face?  Please  ask  him.' 

But  Po  Chon  only  grumbles  to  himself. 
'  What 's  written  on  my  Thakin's  face  ?  Why, 
every  one  can  see  what 's  written.  When  he 
goes  into  even  a  stranger  village,  the  people  see 
it.  The  very  children  see  it.  To  ask  what 's 
written,  indeed  !  '  He  finished  his  work  in  a 
contemptuous  silence,  and  then  disappeared. 

'  What  does  he  mean  ? '  says  she. 

'  These  people  think,'  says  I,  '  that  a  man's 
fate  is  more  or  less  settled  before  he  's  born  at 
all,  at  all.  And  it 's  not  so  wrong  they  are 
neither,  Mrs.  Gallic.  Sure,  it 's  a  duke — an 
Irish  duke,  of  course — I  would  have  been 
born  had  I  the  choice,  and  not  son  of  a  poor 
army  surgeon,  and  it 's  clever  I  would  have 
been  and  good  looking.  So  I  wouldn't  have  had 
to  work.  But  I  couldn't  help  myself,  you  see.' 

'  It 's  true,'  she  says,  reflecting  ;  '  fate  does 
much,  not  all.' 

'  That 's  what  they  mean,'  I  says  ;  '  that  a 
man's  birth  and  parents  and  temperament  and 
education  pretty  well  settle  his  hash  for  him. 
But  with  Gallio  it 's  something  more  they 
mean,  I  think.' 


1 88  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  What  more  ? ' 

I  shook  my  head.  '  Faith,  and  I  do  not 
know.  But  I  remember  now  that  when  we 
were  in  the  same  station  years  ago,  I  have  heard 
the  people  talk  of  your  husband  as  having 
something  strange  in  his  face.  I  've  heard 
them  say,  "  Look  at  his  face.  It 's  not  the 
same  as  the  faces  of  other  Thakins." 

'  What  did  they  mean  ? ' 

'They  never  explained.' 

'  It 's  something  secret,  something  mysterious, 
something  mystical,'  says  she,  excited.  '  Some 
magic  of  the  East.' 

'Oh  no,'  says  I.  'There  isn't  any  magic 
here.  But  the  people  are  sensitive  to  character. 
They  have  a  sympathy  and  understanding  we 
don't  have.  They  seem  to  feel  and  recognise 
the  inwardness  of  a  man  in  a  way  we  never 
do.  And  there  is  something  unusual  in  your 
husband's  face.' 

'  Of  course  there  is,'  says  she,  as  proud  of 
Gallio's  face  as  any  peahen  of  her  husband's 
tail.  '  That 's  why  I  married  him.' 

Just  then  Po  Chon  came  back.  '  Ask  him,' 
says  she,  '  if  anything  is  written  in  my  face.* 

But  Po  Chon  wasn't  to  be  drawn. 

'  What  should  be  written,'  he  grumbles,  not 
even  glancing  at  Mrs.  Gallic,  '  except  that 
she  should  marry  my  Thakin  ? ' 

I  feared  at  first  to  tell  her,  lest  she  should  be 
offended,  but  she  was  not.  She  was  delighted 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  189 

and  clapped  her  hands.  'Of  course,'  says  she. 
'  I  share  what 's  written  in  his  face.  It  is  for 
both.' 

'  Maybe,'  says  I.  '  But  Po  Chon  's  right  in 
another  way,  Mrs.  Gallic.  There  never  was 
a  man  so  constantly  in  trouble  as  your  husband. 
If  there  's  no  trouble  at  hand,  he  goes  to  look 
for  it.  He  's  never  quiet.' 

She  looks  quite  soberly  at  me.  c  Yes,  so  I 
have  found  out.  He  says  the  beauty  of  life 
is  its  danger,'  and  she  sighed. 

'  Sure,  and  that 's  true,'  says  I. 

'  Are  all  men  like  that  ? '  she  asks. 

'  All  men  who  are  menj  says  I.  '  The 
trousered  things  that  shriek  always  for  peace 
and  safety  regardless  of  all  else,  they  are  not 
men.' 

'  But  I  like  peace,'  says  she. 

'  That 's  true  for  you,'  says  I.  '  Women 
like  peace — and  stir  up  war,  and  men  like  war, 
but  strive  for  peace.' 

'That  is  a  paradox,'  says  she. 

'Maybe,  but  it's  true,'  says  I.  'All  the 
wars  I  have  been  in,  and  all  the  wars  I  ever 
heard  of,  public  or  private,  came  from  women  or 
woman-minded  men.  It  was  a  woman,  for  in- 
stance, who  ruined  the  Burmese  empire.  When 
men  get  back  their  own  again,  there  's  peace.' 

'  How  all  you  men  despise  us  women  ! '  says 
she,  and  turns  on  me  reproachful  eyes  of  blue. 

'  Patrick,'  says  I  to  myself,  '  I  ought  to  kick 


190  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

ye,  aye  and  I  will  when  I  get  ye  by  yerself, 
ye  fool  of  a  man.  Tact  of  a  cat  ye  have  ! 
tact  of  a  hippopotamus  more  like,  blunder- 
ing out  a  silly  truth  like  that.  Ate  dirt,  ye 
omadhaun,  and  be  ashamed  of  yerself.' 

*  Madam,'  says  I,  *  even  if  that  be  true,  there 
is  a  truer  truth,  that  whether  men  make  peace 
or  war,  or  live  or  die,  it 's  all  for  you.      Faith, 
and  ye  're  worth  it.' 

The  blue  eyes  puckered  up  into  the  jolliest 
laugh.  '  Herr  Hals,'  says  she, '  I  recognise  again 
the  Cavalier  I  Ve  known  so  long.  That 's  just 
what  he  would  have  said.' 

c  And  done.' 

c  I  believe  that  too,'  says  she. 

4 1  suppose,'  says  she,  '  that  you  were  with 
my  husband  on  the  frontier.' 

'  I  was,'  says  I.  '  That 's  where  we  got  to 
know  each  other.  Faith,  and  ye  see  things 
about  a  man  there  ye  don't  anywhere  else.' 

'  What  kind  of  things  ? '  says  she. 

'  What 's  inside  of  him,'  says  I.  c  In  peace 
ye  see  just  the  man's  outside,  the  varnish  and 
lacquer  and  painted  designs  upon  his  cuticle. 
War  wears  these  off,  and  ye  see  the  man.' 

*  It  makes  me  cross,'  says  she,  '  sometimes, 
to  think  how  much  my  husband  lived  before 
he  knew  of  me.     It  seems  unfair  to  me  some- 
how.    He  didn't  have  oughted  to.' 

4  But  he  couldn't  help,'  says  I. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  191 

4  So  I  forgive/  says  she, '  and  I  want  to  hear. 
Tell  me  a  story  of  your  life  up  there/ 

'  I  will,'  says  I,  and  thinks,  and  thinks,  and 
then  I  says  :  c  Maybe  he  's  told  you  of  Kale.' 

She  shakes  her  head.  c  He  does  not  talk 
of  himself ;  that 's  why  I  ask  you,  Herr  Hals.' 

*  Well,  then,  here  goes,'  says  I.  c  Kale,  I 
must  tell  ye,  was  a  town.' 

'  Hold  on,'  says  Gallic,  coming  suddenly 
round  the  salon.  '  Is  it  tellin'  ye  stories  he 
is,  my  dear?  You  aren't  believing  them.' 

'  It 's  about  you,'  says  she  ;  '  sit  down  and 
hear  yourself  described.  I  'm  going  to  be 
told  of  that  black  past  of  yours.' 

'  I  '11  go  away,'  groans  he.  '  I  never  did 
like  scandal — except  about  other  people,'  and 
makes  to  move. 

'Sit  down,'  says  she, jumping  up  and  catch- 
ing him  by  the  arm.  c  Go  on,'  says  she  to  me, 
*  I  have  him  fast.'  She  pulled  him  into  a 
chair  next  hers  and  held  him  all  the  time,  strok- 
ing his  hand  sometimes  when  she  thought  I 
wasn't  looking — and  of  course  I  wasn't. 

'  Well  then,'  says  I,  '  there  was  a  town 
called  Kale,  that  was  once  a  great  city,  nearly 
a  mile  square,  with  high  brick  walls  and  a 
moat,  but  was  reduced  to  be  a  little  village 
camped  in  the  middle  of  the  ruined  walls  with 
but  a  fence  round  it.' 

'  How  was  that  ? '.  says  she. 

'  Don't  know,'  says  I,  *  but  so  it  was.    *  Kale 


192  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

is  in  a  valley,  and  just  beyond  it  rises  the  great 
range  of  mountains  that  make  the  frontier. 
Now,  on  these  hills  there  live  a  small,  black, 
murderous  set  of  bloodthirsty  savages  called 
Chins/ 

She  smiled. 

c  Faith,  you  may  smile,  Mrs.  Gallio,  com- 
fortably here  on  your  raft,  but  it  was  no  smil- 
ing matter  ten  years  ago.  They  came  raiding 
down,  burning  and  murdering  and  kidnapping 
till  there  was  little  of  the  valley  left.  Gallio 
was  there  as  Political.' 

'  Where  were  you  ? '  she  asks. 

'  Elsewhere,'  says  I,  '  till  I  was  sent  up  with 
two  other  officers  and  a  hundred  men  to  help 
Gallio.' 

'  What  was  the  matter  with  him  ? '  asks  she. 

'  Not  much  with  him*  says  I.  'But  a 
hundred  miles  of  valley  was  in  an  awful  state, 
burning  and  being  robbed  and  murdered  at 
nights.  Gallio,  with  about  a  hundred  and 
thirty  men  was  trying  to  prevent  two  thou- 
sand savages  from  enjoying  themselves,  and 
failing,  naturally,  and  the  savages  sending  word 
they  were  going  to  kill  him  very  soon.' 

'  How  awful  !  '  says  she,  and  clutches  his  arm. 

'  So  we  went  to  help  him  because  he  was  a 
bit  lonesome.' 

'  He  must  have  been  awfully  glad  to  see 
you,'  says  she. 

'  He  was.    He  said  he  hadn't  played  a  game 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  193 

of  whist  for  six  months,  and  was  out  of  baccy. 
So  we  camped  in  an  old  monastery  in  Kale, 
and  had  a  high  old  time.' 

'  What  did  you  do  ? '  she  asks. 

'  Do  ? '  says  I.  '  There  was  lashings  to  do. 
Mornings  we  would  go  out  with  fifty  men  or 
so  and  climb  the  mountains  to  try  and  catch 
the  raiders  ;  evenings  we  played  whist.' 

4  Do  you  call  what  Young  played  whist  ? ' 
asks  Gallio. 

'  Young  !  Sure,  he  would  break  any  one's 
heart  at  any  game.  We  went  to  bed  at  nine 
and  got  up  at  two.' 

'  What  for  ? '  asks  Mrs.  Gallio. 

'  To  make  a  party  with  the  savages  if  they 
came.  They  sent  down  word  that  thousands 
of  them  were  coming  to  eat  us  up.' 

'  That  was  brag,'  says  Mrs.  Gallio. 

'  No  brag,'  says  I.  c  They  meant  it.  So 
we  got  up  and  fell  in,  and  made  ready  for  the 
party  in  the  dark.  Faith,  it  was  cold  work  I 
tell  you,  waiting  for  the  savages  to  burst  on 
us.  Gallio  used  to  make  jokes.' 

'  How  could  you  ? '  she  says,  and  stares  at 
him. 

'  I  didn't,'  he  says.  '  Franz  made  the  jokes. 
I  laughed.' 

'  He  kept  us  all  alive,  Mrs.  Gallio.  That 's 
why  I  tell  you  the  story.  He  laughed  and 
joked  just  as  he  does  now  on  this  raft.  We 
could  not  have  stood  it  but  for  him.' 

N 


i94  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

'  What  stuff ! '  says  Gallic.  '  Lesbia,  he  's 
really  talking  of  himself.' 

She  looked  from  one  to  other  of  us.  '  And 
you  knew  that  death  might  be  close  at  hand  ? 
How  could  you  ? ' 

'  Would  you  have  had  us  cry  ? '  asks  Gallic. 

'  How  could  you  joke  with  death  so  close  ? ' 
she  says  ;  and  then  to  me  :  '  Go  on/  says  she. 
'  Did  the  savages  ever  come  ? ' 

'  They  did,'  says  I.  '  Three  times  they 
came  swarming  down  from  the  mountains  at 
night  in  thousands  to  destroy  us.' 

'  But,'  she  said,  opening  her  eyes,  '  they 
didn't  destroy  you.' 

'  If  we  hadn't  been  ready  and  waiting  for 
them,  they  would,'  says  I.  '  But  though  we 
kept  as  quiet  as  little  mice,  I  suppose  they 
heard  us  move  inside  the  fence  and  heard  the 
rattle  of  our  arms.  So  they  went  away  again. 
We  found  their  traces  in  the  morning,  and 
pursued,  but  were  too  late.' 

'  Then  they  were  cowards,'  says  she. 

'  Not  so,'  says  I.  '  They  fought  like  devils 
later  on,  when  the  column  went  up  the  hills. 
They  were  brave  men,  though  savage.' 

'  Then  why  didn't  they  attack  ? '  asks  she. 
4  Would  they  have  won,'  to  Gallic,  £  had  they 
attacked  you  when  you  were  awake  ? ' 

'  Of  course,'  he  says.  c  We  had  but  a  hun- 
dred armed  police,  almost  untrained,  and  not 
very  good.  We  should  have  stood  no  chance.' 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  195 

'  Then  why  ? '  she  asks  ;  '  then  why  ? ' 

I  only  looked  at  her  and  drew  her  eyes  to 

Gallio's  face  and  raised  my  eyebrows.     Why  ? 

I  often  wondered  at  that  myself.     Why  didn't 

they  wipe  us  out  ? 

Because  it  was  written  on  our  foreheads. 

It  was  a  pleasant  day  I  spent  with  them,  and 
one  that  I  will  not  forget.  They  were  glad 
to  have  me,  just  as  a  break  and  to  show  off 
before  me  how  happy  they  were.  Perhaps 
they  thought  to  convert  me  to  their  ways. 
But  no  ;  in  vain  is  the  net  spread  in  the  eyes 
of  this  old  bird.  Love  is  a  pleasant  thing,  but 
marriage — not  for  Patrick,  thank  you.  I  've 
seen  too  much  of  it.  I  like  love  and  peace, 
aye,  and  war  too,  each  in  its  place,  but  all  three 
mixed  up  together  all  the  time — no,  I  'm  not 
taking  any.  Yet  what  is  marriage  but  that  ? 
The  very  happiest  marriage  is  that — unhappy 
marriages  are  hell. 

Good  luck  to  ye  both  ! 

So  after  dinner  I  went  back  to  my  boat. 


CHAPTER   XIV 


'  Now  Beauty  feared  the  Beast  because  of  his  rough  outside.' 

Fairy  Tale. 


XIV 


EFORE  the  dawn  has  come  the 
raft  is  moving.  In  the  still 
night  I  hear  the  raftsmen 
call  one  to  another.  I  feel  the 
raft  is  freed.  The  stream  no 
longer  murmurs  in  the  logs 
beneath,  chafing  and  restless,  but  bears  us  on. 
For  a  few  minutes  there  is  the  splash  of  oars 
and  then  a  deeper  silence,  as  we  drift  adown 
the  river. 

I  see  a  pale  grey  light  that  oozes  through 
the  window.  I  would  sleep  again,  but  cannot, 
so  I  rise  and  look  out  of  the  window  into  a 
world  of  pearl.  There  is  faint  light  upon  the 
water  and  the  fields  ;  the  sky  is  full  of  silver 
shimmer,  and  on  the  mountain  peaks  a  promise 
of  the  day. 

There  is  a  sense  of  peace  and  yet  of  loneli- 
ness. I  feel  that  I  want  something,  some  one. 
I  call,  he  does  not  answer.  Shall  I  go  in  to 
him  ?  Shall  I  ?  And  dare  I  ? 

I  tremble  when  I  lift  the  curtain.  He  is 
asleep. 


200  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

I  go  up  to  the  bed  and  look  at  him. 

Is  this  my  husband  ? 

He  looks  old.  I  see  that  his  hair  is  grey 
upon  his  temples  and  his  face  is  lined.  His 
throat  and  part  of  his  chest  are  bare,  and  one 
arm  hangs  out  of  the  bed,  the  sleeve  drawn 
back.  I  do  not  like  to  see  him  so  ;  I  draw 
his  coat  together  and  pull  down  his  sleeve.  I 
see  that  he  is  strong,  not  beautiful.  His  chest, 
his  arms  are  strong,  rough,  hairy,  his  face  is 
rugged.  All  that  is  not  for  me. 

I  think  that  he  is  ugly.  Yet  when  he  is 
awake  I  find  him  handsome.  I  like  to  look  at 
him  then,  the  light  of  his  eyes,  his  pose,  his 
strength,  his  gestures,  to  hear  the  echo  in  his 
voice.  But  that  is  all  departed  now.  His  body 
is  not  for  me.  It  is  for  the  world.  Those 
arms  of  his  are  strong,  as  men's  are,  to  fight 
and  to  work.  His  hands  are  large,  bony,  and 
muscular,  not  good  to  look  at  except  to  recog- 
nise their  strength  and  power. 

His  mental  ability  too,  which  shows  in  the 
lines  upon  his  face  and  breadth  of  his  head,  is 
not  for  me.  His  knowledge  and  experience 
do  not  attract  me,  they  rather  frighten  me. 
It  is  true  that  in  a  way  he  is  built  for  me, 
because  I  benefit  materially  by  the  qualities 
which  underlie  his  strength.  They  make  the 
world  smooth  and  endurable  for  me  to  live  in. 
But  they  are  not  there  to  attract  me,  rather 
to  capture  me  and  carry  me  off  will  I,  nill  I,  as 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  201 

he  says  all  women  are  in  marriage  in  one  form 
or  another. 

And  indeed  is  it  not  true  that  we  are  always 
captured  into  marriage  ?  We  may  look  for- 
ward to  it,  we  may  like  the  man,  but  the  en- 
gagement, the  ceremony  of  marriage,  above  all 
the  marriage  itself,  are  we  not  forced  into  them 
by  him  ?  I  do  not  say  that  we  are  not  willing 
victims,  that  we  do  not  like  to  be  subdued  and 
forced  lovingly  and  kindly,  yet  we  are  forced 
for  all  that.  And  so,  perhaps,  this  very  ugliness 
of  the  outer  man  to  us  is  part  of  that  great 
scheme  which  makes  men  and  women  com- 
plements and  not  rivals  to  each  other  in  all 
things  physical  and  spiritual. 

So  physically,  although  he  does  not  attract 
me  as  I  do  him,  yet  he  is  made  for  me  after  all. 

And  I  am  all  made  for  him,  though  in  quite 
another  way,  because  I  am  beautiful.  Has  he 
not  told  me  so  a  hundred  times  ?  My  face, 
my  arms,  my  bosom,  how  he  loves  to  look  on 
me,  to  touch,  to  kiss.  I  to  him  am  beautiful, 
but  he  is  ugly  in  my  eyes.  He  is  made  for 
the  world's  work,  not  for  my  delight,  as  I  for  his. 

He  likes  to  see  me  sleeping,  not  I  him. 

I  will  go  away. 

But  no,  I  will  not  go.  I  will  sit  down  close 
by  and  think  it  out. 

I  love  him — What  do  I  love  ?  That  body 
on  the  bed  ?  Not  so.  It  is  his  soul  I  love, 
something  that  looks  from  out  his  waking  eyes 


202  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

and  echoes  in  his  voice.     It  now  is  sleeping. 
That  which  I  love  is  sunk  beneath  the  verge. 

He  loves  me  for  my  form  ;  I  love  him  for 
his  soul. 

Then  like  a  flash  there  comes  to  me  the 
meaning  of  that  old  legend  of  Beauty  and  the 
Beast,  which  he  told  me  was  eternal  of  Man 
and  Woman.  At  the  time,  I  did  not  under- 
stand— now  I  see  that  it  is  true  and  what  it 
means.  Man's  love  to  woman  is  mainly 
physical,  woman's  to  man  is  mainly  spiritual. 
He  loves  her  for  her  beauty,  her  weakness,  her 
purity,  her  tenderness  :  she  loves  him  for  the 
strength,  the  understanding,  the  courage  that 
lies  under  his  man's  exterior,  which  repels  her 
till  she  sees  beneath.  I  see,  I  see  the  legend  now. 

But  which  does  that  mean  is  the  more 
spiritual,  I  wonder — she,  because  she  discerns 
and  loves  it  in  him,  whereas  his  love  for  her  is 
more  purely  physical ;  or  he,  because  his  spirit 
makes  his  outward  shape  forgotten  ?  I  wonder, 
oh,  I  wonder. 

What  is  the  use  of  thought  ?  I  want  him 
back.  Out  of  that  mystery  which  we  call 
sleep  I  will  call  him  back  to  me. 

I  put  my  lips  to  his  and  watch.  A  faint 
unconscious  smile  spreads  on  his  face.  His 
long-drawn  respiration  stops  ;  his  eyes  arc 
opening  on  mine,  with  wonder,  with  delight, 
with  love. 

He  catches  hold  of  me  and  laughs. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  203 

'  How  dare  you  come  into  the  lion's  den  ? ' 
he  asks.  '  Now  I  will  eat  you.' 

'  Eat  me,'  I  answer.  '  But  first  you  must 
tell  me  something.' 

'  I  will  tell  you  anything.' 

'  I  want  to  know,'  I  say, '  I  want  to  know ' 

'  Daughter  of  Eve,'  he  cries. 

'  I  want  to  know — a  lot  of  things.' 

'  What  things  ? ' 

It  is  so  hard  to  put  it  clearly.  I  sit  and 
think,  and  at  last  I  say  : 

'  You  have  borne  dreadful  things,  done 
dreadful  things,  faced  death  yourself  and  given 
it  to  others.' 

He  nods. 

'  You  do  not  mind  that  ?  It  does  not  hurt 
you  to  remember  ? ' 

'No.' 

'  If  a  woman  had  seen  half,  done  half,  what 
you  have,  either  she  would  have  died  with  the 
horror  of  it  or  her  heart  would  have  been 
hardened  to  a  stone.' 

He  looks  at  me  and  smiles. 

'  But  you  are  neither,'  I  continue.  '  Your 
heart  is  tender.' 

'  That  is  one  difference,'  he  says,  '  between 
a  man  and  a  woman.  Trouble  and  misery  and 
fear  temper  us  and  do  not  break.  Neither  does 
sin  stain  us.  We  rise  above  our  deeds,  above 
our  bodies.' 

'We  cannot.' 


204  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

c  You  are  too  tender/  and  he  laughs.  4  We 
are  the  opposing  forces  of  the  world.  You  are 
the  dove  of  peace,  and  we  the  sword  of  war.' 
And  at  the  word  his  eyes  light  up  again. 

Then  I  am  filled  with  jealousy  and  fear.  I 
catch  hold  of  him. 

4  And  which  do  you  love  best  ?  the  world- 
war,  or  your  wife  ? ' 

He  looks  at  me  reflectively.  I  see  that  he 
is  seeking  for  an  answer. 

4  You  must  tell  me  true  ? '  I  say. 

4  I  will,'  he  says,  '  but  I  must  think.' 

And  while  he  thinks  I  watch  the  sunrise, 
which  has  grown  from  pink  to  crimson  and 
to  gold. 

4  Listen,'  he  says,  '  and  I  will  tell  you  what 
wise  men  of  old  had  to  say  about  your  question.' 

'  Did  they  ask  it  ? '  I  demand,  surprised. 

4  They  asked  all  things,  just  as  we  do  now.' 

4  And  found  their  answer  ? ' 

4  Yes,  and  they  found  answers  —  better 
answers  than  we  find  now.' 

4  Tell  me  the  answer.' 

4  They  saw  life  clearly  and  they  saw  it  'whole. 
They  did  not  separate  one  detail  from  another — 
the  plants,  the  animals,  and  men  and  gods — 
but  saw  them  all  as  one.  One  soul  within 
one  universe,  striving  to  manifest  and  to  ex- 
press itself.  That  soul  was  God.  But  Soul 
consists  of  many  things — of  Love,  of  Hate,  of 
War,  of  Peace,  of  Safety,  of  Danger,  of  Purity, 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  205 

of  Wisdom,  and  many  more.  All  these  work 
in  the  world  to  make  it,  acting  and  counter- 
acting. The  sum  is  God,  and  each  emotion 
was  a  god.  That  strong  desire  to  fight,  which 
is  in  all  male  life,  to  attack  and  to  destroy,  to 
have  courage,  to  bear  danger  and  face  death, 
which  is  the  most  potent  emotion  towards  the 
progress  of  the  world,  they  called  Ares,  or 
Mars,  or  Thor.  He  is  rough  and  hard  out- 
side, stained  with  his  work,  with  dust,  with 
blood,  but  his  soul  is  of  tempered  and  shining 
steel.  That  is  the  emotion  that  you  fear  in 
me.  Love  is  a  goddess — Venus,  or  Aphrodite, 
or  Vishnu.  She  is  tender  and  loving  and  true. 
She  is  the  ever-beautiful,  the  ever-young,  the 
ever-clean,  arising  daily  from  her  bath  in  the 
sea  waves.  The  world  she  cares  not  for,  only 
one  man  whom  she  would  wish  to  hold  within 
her  arms,  nor  ever  let  go  free.  That  is  the 
emotion  that  there  is  in  you.' 

'  Yes,  yes  !  '  I  say.  '  Go  on — what  is  the 
answer  ?  Which  won  ? ' 

'  Oh,'  he  says,  '  neither.  Mars  and  Venus 
were  husband  and  wife.  They  saw  that  was 
the  answer.'  And  he  laughs. 

I  stare  at  him  and  shake  my  head.  It  is  so 
difficult,  and  I  so  new  to  life,  born  but  four  days 
ago.  I  cannot  understand  it  yet.  But  I  will 
keep  this  myth  within  my  head,  and  it  will  un- 
fold itself  sometime,  as  the  legend  of  Beauty 
and  the  Beast  has  done. 


206  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

'Thank  you,'  I  say.  '  I  hear  Po  Chon  and 
cups  and  saucers.  We  must  go  out  for  our 
little  breakfast  now.' 

The  tea  finished,  my  husband  goes  away  to 
work  at  the  Dee&o,  and  I  am  left  alone. 

We  are  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  drifting 
down.  Upon  the  west  are  low  hills  crowned 
with  pagodas,  very  barren  hills,  but  on  the  other 
bank  there  is  a  plain  that  stretches  to  the  far- 
off  mountain  barrier  of  the  Shan  plateau. 

On  either  side  are  frequent  villages  that 
stretch  along  close  to  the  water,  shadowed  by 
figs  and  tamarinds  and  palms.  Long,  slender 
boats  rock  at  their  feet.  All  the  world  swims 
in  golden  light,  even  the  lucent  shadows  are 
like  crystal,  clear  and  full  of  light.  The  love- 
moan  of  innumerable  doves  comes  from  the 
woods. 

I  look  about  for  some  one  to  talk  to.  Spot 
and  Lady  are  in  the  bows,  propped  up  against 
each  other,  watching  for  something  to  interest 
them.  I  call  to  them,  but  they  do  not  care 
to  hear.  Very  well  then,  I  will  inspect  the 
family. 

The  nursery  is  a  box,  kept  in  a  dark  corner  of 
the  verandah  by  Lady's  special  request.  I  can't 
see  the  puppies  very  well  in  there,  so  I  bring 
them  out  and  lay  them  on  the  mat  near  my  feet. 
The  light  and  air  and  warmth  will  do  them 
good. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  207 

What  funny  little  beasts  they  are  !  Quite 
blind  as  yet,  though  their  eyes  are  half  opened. 

As  I  do  this,  Spot  looks  round.  He  seems 
surprised  when  he  sees  what  I  am  about,  shrugs 
his  fat  back  as  if  to  say,  '  You  '11  catch  it 
directly,'  and  turns  away  again. 

A  minute  later  Lady  looks  round.  When 
she  sees  her  family  out  in  the  open,  she  gives  a 
start  that  unsettles  even  Spot.  Then  she  darts 
back,  picks  up  the  babies  one  by  one  in  her 
mouth  and  carries  them  back  into  the  nursery, 
growling  all  the  time  in  strong  expostulation. 
When  they  are  safe,  she  sits  down  on  guard, 
and  whines. 

'  Haven't  you  any  sense  ? '  she  seems  to  say, 
'  putting  out  blind  babies  in  a  strong  light  like 
that.  A  nice  mother  you  '11  make.' 

I  wonder  what  teaches  her  all  this  ?  Instinct, 
they  call  it.  Shall  I  have  instinct  when  the 
time  comes  ?  But  instinct  alone  does  not  go 
far.  I  must  have  more,  for  I  must  learn.  I 
sit  and  think  and  think.  How  sweet  it  is  to 
think,  to  open  wide  your  heart  and  brain  and 
let  the  echoes  of  the  world  repeat  themselves 
therein.  Thoughts  are  not  born  within  us,  but 
they  come  to  us,  and  when  we  are  in  tune  with 
all  the  world  we  hear  them. 

'  Tell  me,'  I  asked,  '  what  is  that  light  I  see 
far  over  there,  beyond  the  islands,  far  inland. 
I  seem  to  see  a  spurt  of  fire  sometimes,' 


208  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

'That  is  the  centre  of  universe.' 

'  And  what  is  that  ?  ' 

'The  centre  spire  over  the  king's  throne- 
room  in  the  palace.  It  is  covered  with  leaf- 
gold.  You  see  the  sun  shining  upon  it.* 

'  Where  the  Queen  lived  the  Cavalier  spoke 
of?' 

'Just  so,  who  lost  the  kingdom/ 

'  Are  you  not  hard  on  women  ? ' 

'  When  women  rule,  men  and  kingdoms  and 
civilisations  are  lost,'  he  answers. 

4  Then  what  should  women  do  ? ' 

'  Women  should  reign,  men  govern.' 

'  And  I,  am  I  to  reign  ? ' 

'  You  are/  he  says.  '  You  reign.  I  am  your 
minister,  and  govern.' 

'  Why  should  that  be  ? ' 

4  Because  women  are  the  negative,  the  con- 
serving force  :  men  are  the  positive  and  act 
restrained  by  women,  but  not  guided.' 

'  Oh,  oh,'  I  say,  and  feel  quite  angry. 

He  laughs.  '  Ma  mie,'  he  says,  'let  us  not 
quarrel  yet.  Sometimes  I  think  the  fight  is 
bound  to  come,  but  just  now  let  us  enjoy. 
Look  at  the  children  bathing  there  ;  are  they 
not  beautiful  ?  When  I  first  came  to  Upper 
Burma  women  used  to  bathe  like  that.' 

'  Quite  nude  ? '  I  cry. 

'Just  so,'  he  says. 

'  Weren't  they  ashamed  ? ' 

'  Not  in  the  least,  except  if  they  were  ugly. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  209 

Shame  lies  in  the  beholder's  eye.  It  lay  in  the 
eye  of  Europeans,  so  the  women  now  wear 
clothes  when  bathing.' 

'  Are  you  then  worse  than  the  Burmese 
men  ? ' 

'  It 's  a  matter  of  custom,'  he  replies.  4  In 
countries  where  women  do  not  show  their  faces, 
to  show  the  face  is  immoral.  We  Europeans 
do  not  feel  so  because  we  are  accustomed  to 
women's  faces.  But  we  are  not  to  anything 
else.  Women  consist  of  heads  and  hands  and, 
perhaps,  arms.  We  know,  of  course,  that  there 
is  more,  but  we  pretend  it  is  not  so.  There- 
fore when  they  show  that  they  have  more  than 
that,  it  strikes  us  with  a  sense  of  the  un- 
accustomed. It  awakens  an  immodesty  of 
thought,  which  is  only  immodest  in  that  it  has 
not  been  properly  ventilated  and  used.  Secret 
recesses  of  the  mind  and  the  emotions  are  full 
of  evil  things,  and  the  cure  is  sunlight  and 
fresh  air. 

'  Therefore,  to  one  properly  accustomed  to  see 
women's  figures,  there  is  nothing  immodest  in 
seeing  them  ;  they  only,  if  pretty,  awaken  a 
sense  of  beauty  and  pleasure  that  the  world 
holds  such  pretty  things. 

'  And  nude  children,  how  beautiful  they  are. 
I  love  to  see  the  children  bathing,  don't  you  ?  ' 

I  think  I  ought  to.  If  I  don't,  it  is  because 
of  something  wrong  in  me,  not  them,  and  I 
will  in  time, 


210  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

In  the  red  sunset  we  come  to  Sagaing.  The 
river  narrows  from  its  three  miles  width  and 
takes  a  bend  to  westward,  compressed  through 
a  rocky  gateway.  We  pass  the  steamer  ferry 
and  we  come  close  to  a  shore  green  with  fresh 
grass  shadowed  by  giant  trees.  A  sand-bank 
runs  out,  and  here  we  moor.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Windham  come  down  to  meet  us,  and  Mrs. 
Windham  drives  me  to  their  house. 

How  glad  I  am  to  be  inside  a  house  again. 
I  think  I  am  a  cat.  I  don't  like  wandering, 
and  I  don't  like  camps.  I  like  a  stationary 
home.  I  like  four  walls  to  shut  me  in.  I  like 
the  peace,  the  rest,  the  finiteness  of  things. 


CHAPTER    XV 


'  Women  walk  through  life  looking  backward,  but  men 
forward.'  GANGLER. 


XV 


was  with  great  interest  and 
curiosity  I  awaited  the  arrival 
of'  Mr.  Gallic  and  his  bride, 
who  had  promised  to  spend 
their  Christmas  with  us.  I 
had  known  him  for  years 
and  liked  him.  He  was  a  change  from  other 
men,  all  of  whom  seem  to  us  women  the  same, 
or  nearly  so.  He  was  quite  different.  He 
had  a  marked  personality,  almost  as  a  child  has 
— as  frank  and  joyous,  as  easily  cast  down,  as 
quick  in  recovering,  as  tender  and  confiding 
and  sometimes  as  rude.  You  could  not  count 
on  him  as  on  other  men,  who  are  almost  as 
certain  as  machines.  You  never  knew  before- 
hand what  he  would  say  or  do — except  that 
it  would  be  the  unexpected.  Sometimes  he 
would  be  wrong,  but  he  was  quick  to  see  his 
mistakes,  and  acknowledge  them  truly  and 
bravely  ;  and  would  very  often  be  most  right 
when  you  thought  at  first  that  he  was  wrong. 
He  was  a  man  of  impulse,  of  generous  and 
nearly  always  right  impulse,  of  very  strong 


214  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

emotions,  of  extraordinary  knowledge,  with  an 
abiding  hatred  to  all  convention  of  thought 
and  sometimes  of  act. 

What  would  his  wife  be  like,  and  how 
would  they  get  on  ? 

Well,  when  I  saw  her  coming  up  the  bank 
from  the  raft  to  meet  us,  I  saw  that  as  far  as 
looks  went  he  had  done  well.  It  wasn't  the 
actual  shape  of  her  face  and  figure  that  were 
so  striking  as  her  colouring.  A  strong  and 
vivid  light  shone  through  her,  that  glowed  in 
the  colouring  of  her  hair,  her  clear  complexion, 
that  showed  itself  in  her  quick  motions,  the 
changeful  receptiveness  of  her  expression,  in 
the  look  of  her  deep-blue  eyes. 

Directly  you  saw  her  you  loved  her,  you 
wanted  to  kiss  her,  to  talk  to  her,  to  hear  her 
talk.  She  was  like  her  husband  in  the  way 
that  she  too  seemed  to  have  kept  her  child's 
nature,  though  she  were  grown  up.  The 
world  seemed  always  new  to  her  and  good. 
As  I  drove  her  to  our  house,  she  glanced 
quickly  this  side  and  that  to  take  things  in, 
to  understand,  and  she  asked  questions.  She 
was  as  full  of  questions  as  a  child. 

'  Have  you  lived  here  long  ? '  she  asked  as 
we  drove  along  the  strand  under  the  avenue  of 
trees.  '  How  beautiful  it  is,  and  with  the 
river  always  before  you.  My  husband  loves 
the  river.  It  seems  alive  to  him,  a  symbol  of 
all  life.' 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  215 

4  And  you  ? '  I  asked. 

She  shook  her  head  gaily.  '  I  am  like  a 
cat,  I  think,'  she  answered,  laughing.  '  I  like 
houses  and  civilisation  and — and  things.' 

4  But  aren't  you  comfortable  on  the  raft  ?  ' 

*  Quite  comfortable,  thanks.  He  got  it  up 
so  nicely.  And  we  have  had  such  fun.  We 
got  shipwrecked.  But  I  will  tell  you  all  after- 
wards. What  is  this  house  we  are  passing  ? ' 

4  That  is  the  house  your  husband  lived  in  for 
several  years.' 

4  Oh ! '  she  said,  pursing  her  mouth  and 
looking  at  the  house  curiously.  4  Wasn't  he 
rather  lonely  there  ? ' 

4  Without  you  ?  Of  course  he  must  have 
been.' 

She  glanced  at  me  merrily.  4 1  always 
think  he  must  have  been  dreadfully  lonely  be- 
fore we  married.  He  likes — being  married  so 
much,  you  know.' 

4  And  you  ? ' 

4  Oh,  me  ? '  with  rising  inflection.  4  Well,  I 
— what  is  that  other  house  ? ' 

4  That  is  the  club.' 

4 1  'm  not  sure  I  approve  of  clubs,'  she  said 
consideringly.  4  And  the  next  ? ' 

4  This  is  our  house,'  I  answered,  as  we  drove 
in,  4  and  I  hope  you  will  have  a  happy  Christ- 
mas here.' 

She  looked  at  me  gratefully  in  answer,  and 
when  we  had  both  got  out  she  kissed  me,  just 


216  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

as  a  child  would  do,  and  said  :  '  How  nice 
you  are  !  *  and  laughed.  Then  my  husband 
and  Mr.  Gallio  drove  up,  and  we  went  in  to  tea. 

They  both  of  them  kept  us  very  much  alive 
the  week  that  they  were  with  us.  They  were 
always  wanting  to  do  something  new,  always 
had  something  new  to  say.  He  wanted  her 
to  see  the  place  he  had  lived  so  long  in,  and 
she  wished  to  see. 

He  took  her  out  riding  with  him  in  the 
morning,  showing  her  the  rides  he  took  so 
many  times  alone.  He  told  her  which  was 
his  favourite  ride,  and  why  ;  he  showed  her 
the  new  road  he  had  made  along  the  cliffs 
above,  and  she  came  back  from  these  morning 
rides  aglow  with  pleasure.  '  I  feel  that  I  have 
got  a  little  into  his  past  life,'  she  said  to  me. 
'  I  have  lifted  a  corner  of  the  veil  that  hung 
between  me  and  his  past.' 

Then  he  took  her  to  the  court-house, 
showed  her  where  he  used  to  sit  and  hear  the 
cases,  his  private  room  where  he  wrote  and 
worked.  But  in  this  she  took  less  interest. 

'  It  belongs,'  she  said,  '  to  that  part  of  my 
husband  which  the  world  owns  and  wants.  It 
is  of  the  judge,  the  magistrate,  the  official. 
All  that  is  nothing  to  me.  When  he  comes 
into  my  house,  he  leaves  outside  all  that  part 
of  himself.  I  could  not  understand  it,  and  I 
do  not  want  to.  I  think  that  I  am  rather 
afraid  of  it.  I  want  to  be  protected  from  con- 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  217 

tact  with  it.  He  must  protect  me.  You 
don't  know  of  your  husband's  official  life,  do 
you  ? '  she  asked  me. 

'  I  don't/  I  answered.  '  It  has  nothing  to 
do  with  me.' 

'  Yet  don't  you  feel,'  she  said,  '  that  some- 
how it  isn't  fair.  Our  husbands  know  all  of 
us,  but  we  only  know  a  part  of  them.' 

'  I  am  glad  of  it,'  I  answered.  '  It  is  that 
half  which  we  do  not  know  which  makes  the 
world  safe  for  us.  We  are  the  kernel,  they 
the  rind.  The  kernel  sees  but  the  inner  lining 
of  the  rind,  its  smoothness  and  firmness,  and 
its  enveloping  protective  love.  The  hard, 
rough  outer  coat  is  turned  to  the  world,  not  us.' 

Then  she  wanted  to  see  the  house  that  he 
had  lived  in.  '  I  want  to  see  it  all  inside  and 
out,  without  my  husband.* 

'  And  why  without  me  ? '  he  asked. 

She  wrinkled  up  her  forehead  in  perplexity. 
CI  don't  know  why,'  she  answered.  'But  that 
is  what  I  want.  I  think  I  want  to  picture 
you  in  the  rooms.  But  I  couldn't  do  it  if  you 
were  with  me.' 

'  All  right,'  he  said. 

So  I  asked  Mr.  Brookes,  who  is  now  in 
Mr.  Gallio's  place,  to  ask  us  both  to  tea  one 
afternoon,  and  she  saw  the  house.  He  showed 
all  the  rooms,  and  the  verandahs  back  and  front, 
and  the  garden  and  the  stables.  She  did  not 
say  anything  all  the  while  we  were  going 


2i8  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

round,  she  was  only  considering.  At  the  end 
she  asked  :  '  Was  it  just  like  this  when  my 
husband  lived  in  it  ? ' 

'  Very  much,'  Mr.  Brookes  answered.  '  The 
furniture  is  nearly  the  same,  and  there  is  little 
change.' 

But  when  we  were  going  back  she  said  to 
me  :  '  I  am  glad  I  saw  it.  A  house  like  that 
is  not  a  home.  It  is  an  office  pigeon-hole, 
where  an  official  is  filed  when  off  duty.  How 
glad  he  will  be  when  I  make  him  a  home — a 
home? 

'  I  do  not  think,'  I  ventured  to  say,  '  that 
men  care  so  much  about  homes  as  women  do. 
Their  interest  lies  so  much  outside.' 

She  looked  at  me  with  a  sudden  drooping 
of  the  corners  of  her  mouth. 

'  It  is  all  I  can  give  him — all,  and  he  gives 
so  much  to  me.  And  you  say  that  he  will 
not  care.' 

I  felt  inclined  to  pet  her  like  a  child.  '  You 
give  him  yourself,'  I  said. 

'  But  I  didn't  make  myself.  I  just  am.  I 
want  to  do  something,  make  something  for  him.' 

'  My  dear,'  I  said,  '  you  will  find  that  in  life 
you  cannot  simply  be.  You  will  have  to  con- 
tinually remake  yourself  to  get  along  happily 
in  marriage.  I  have  been  married  for  twenty 
years,  and  know.' 

4  Then  I  am  not  satisfactory  as  I  am  ? ' 

'  You  are  quite  perfect  as  you  are  for  now. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  219 

But    life    is    change    and    growth,    especially 
married  life.     It  is  growth  together.' 

'  I  see,'  she  said  reflectively.  '  Thank  you. 
I  see.' 

Mr.  Gallic  I  found  the  same  as  he  had 
always  been,  yet  changed  for  me.  He  was 
not  really  altered.  I  could  see  under  the  sur- 
face he  was  the  same  that  I  had  known  before, 
but  he  was  more  restrained.  He  used  to  say 
all  that  he  thought — first  one  thing  and  then 
another,  as  new  views  struck  him.  Now  he 
is  more  silent,  more  watchful  over  himself,  as 
if  he  were  conscious  he  had  stepped  into  a 
world  which  was  new  and  strange  and  not  a 
little  difficult.  I  would  notice  him  often 
watching  his  wife  with  a  wonder  in  his  eyes, 
as  if  he  were  trying  to  know  and  could  not. 
He  wished  to  understand  her.  She  was  his 
problem,  a  most  delightful  problem,  which 
was  the  more  fascinating  that  it  never  would 
be  fully  solved.  Sometimes  a  sudden  light 
would  illuminate  his  face  as  some  comprehen- 
sion came  to  him,  and  he  would  laugh. 

I  was  glad  for  his  sake.  But  for  mine  I 
could  not  help  regretting.  I  was  his  friend 
no  more  in  the  old  sense,  his  confidant.  He 
kept  his  secrets  to  himself.  A  married  man 
cannot  have  women  friends,  and  he  is  mine  no 
more. 

On  Christmas  night  the  station  dined  with 


220  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

us  :  we  were  twelve  in  all,  with  only  four 
women.  The  annual  Christmas  dinner  is  a 
ceremony  that  we  cannot  omit,  and  yet  I 
think  that  it  gives  us  more  pain  than  pleasure. 
For  Christmas  is  the  child's  festival,  and  our 
children  are  all  at  home.  They  are  growing 
up  in  ignorance  of  us,  without  their  mothers, 
to  be  strangers  to  us  all  their  lives.  Such  is 
the  price  we  women  pay  for  an  empire  that 
to  us  is  nothing.  Our  homes,  our  husbands, 
and  our  children  are  our  world.  To  things 
beyond  these  confines  we  are  indifferent.  We 
see  with  microscopic  eyes.  Our  husbands' 
eyes  are  fixed  on  the  far  beyond.  The  world 
sometimes  is  nearer  to  them  than  their  homes. 
A  man  would  sacrifice  not  only  himself  but 
his  wife  and  children  to  a  world's  dire  need. 
A  woman  would  sacrifice  a  world  to  those  she 
loved. 

Yet  we  did  our  best.  We  made  speeches 
and  toasted  absent  friends,  and  after  dinner  we 
played  and  sang. 

Then  in  a  dim  corner  of  the  verandah  Mr. 
Gallic  came  and  sat  by  me. 

4  Well  ? '  I  inquired. 

'  Yes,  it  is  well,'  he  answered. 

'  That  is  just  like  you,' I  answered.  '"Well  ? " 
to  most  people  means  a  question  only.  You 
answer  it  in  a  truer  sense.' 

He  only  smiled,  and  we  sat  in  silence  for  a 
time. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  221 

c  What  are  we  to  talk  about  ? '  he  asked. 
'  We  used  to  have  much  to  say.  Have  we 
now  nothing  ? ' 

'  In  the  old  days,'  I  answered,  '  we  talked 
of  men  and  women,  of  love  and  what  it  might 
mean,  of  marriage.  You  were  an  inquirer 
into  truth  and  I  told  you  what  I  could.  You 
used  to  speculate  and  form  theories  and  philo- 
sophies. Now  we  can  talk  no  more.' 

'  No,'  he  replied.  '  In  those  days  I  could 
express  my  thoughts  quite  freely  because  they 
were  vague  and  personal  to  no  one.  They 
were  but  generalisations.  Now  it  might  not 
be  so.  Even  if  unintentional,  there  might  be 
a  personal  reference.' 

'Just  so,'  I  said. 

c  But  tell  me  this,'  he  continued.  '  You 
were  married.  Yet  you  could  discuss  such 
things.  Now  I  am  married  I  cannot.  How 
is  that  ? ' 

I  shook  my  head.  I  had  never  thought  of 
that,  but  it  is  quite  true.  To  a  married  man, 
marriage  and  all  connected  with  it  is  a  secret 
matter,  never  to  be  discussed.  With  a  woman 
it  is  not  so.  Are  men  more  loyal  to  their 
wives  than  women  to  their  husbands,  or  why? 

'  I  don't  know,'  I  said.  '  What  is  your 
explanation  ? ' 

'  I  haven't  got  one.  I  am  so  newly  married 
that  I  do  not  at  all  understand  it  yet.  It  is 
just  another  of  those  mysterious  differences  of 


222  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

sex.  A  woman  will  often  discuss  her  husband, 
kindly,  of  course  :  a  man  will  never  discuss 
his  wife.  I  remember  now  that  a  Moham- 
medan will  not  even  mention  his  wife's  name 
in  public,  won't  put  it  on  the  census  paper, 
for  instance.' 

'  Yes,  I  can  understand  that,'  I  said. 

'  But  why,  but  why  ? ' 

'  Always  at  unsolved  riddles  ? ' 

c  I  like  to  solve  them.  And  perhaps  it  may 
be  that  whereas  a  man  is  public  property  a 
wife  is  private  property.' 

<  Of  her  husband  ? ' 

'  Exactly  so.' 

I  laughed.  '  Well,  we  shall  have  to  go 
back  to  our  table  directly,  but  before  we  go 
let  me  say  how  much  I  admire  your  wire. 
She  has  the  quality  most  essential  for  a  happy 
marriage  a  girl  can  have.' 

'  And  what  is  that  ? '  he  asked. 

'  She  is  willing  and  glad  to  learn.' 

When  our  guests  were  leaving  us  we  went 
out  with  them  on  to  the  river  bank.  The 
moon  was  nearly  full.  All  the  world  dreamed 
in  silver  loveliness  and  peace.  The  Gallios 
detached  themselves  from  us  and  walked  to- 
gether along  the  road.  He  put  his  arm  about 
her  and  they  passed  into  the  shadows  of  the 
trees.  My  husband  came  and  stood  by  me. 

'  Did  you  see  ? '  I  asked. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  223 

'  The  Gallios  ?  ' 

'  Yes.  What  do  you  think  ?  Will  they 
be  happy  ? ' 

'  How  can  one  tell  ?  The  honeymoon  is  not 
waned  as  yet.  Look  at  the  sky.'  And  he 
pointed  up  at  the  full  moon.  c  What  do  you 
think  ? ' 

4 1  do  not  know,'  I  answered.  4  They  are 
both  such  strong  individualities  neither  will 
give  way.  If  they  have  a  quarrel,  I  wonder 
if  they  will  ever  make  it  up.' 

4  The  one  in  the  wrong  will  give  in.' 

e  But  neither  may  be  wrong.  Both  may  be 
right.' 

'  How  can  that  be  ? ' 

'  She  may  have  her  woman's  view  and  he 
his  man's  view.  Each  may  try  to  make  the 
other  see  in  the  same  way.' 

c  Then  they  must  agree  to  differ.  And  after 
all,  isn't  that  what  marriage  is  meant  for,  to 
reconcile  two  truths,  the  male  and  female,  so 
that  they  live  together  in  amity  and  peace.' 

'  But  will  they  learn  that  ? ' 

'  We  did.' 

*  After  what  suffering.   Have  you  forgotten?' 

He  laughed.  '  I  have  forgotten.  We  men 
go  through  life  looking  forward,  but  you 
women,  I  think,  walk  backwards,  regarding 
always  the  past,  don't  you  ?  ' 

'  Perhaps,'  I  said.  '  Are  not  both  sides 
worth  seeing  ?  ' 


224  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

But  he  only  shook  his  head. 

We  did  not  wait.  When  the  Gallios  came 
back  I  do  not  know.  We  went  to  bed.  We 
have  been  married  twenty  years  and  they  a 
week. 

The  day  after  Christmas  my  husband  and 
three  other  men,  including  Mr.  Gallio,  went 
out  for  two  days'  deerstalking.  They  did 
not  take  us  with  them  because  they  were 
going  a  long  ride,  and  would  have  but  a  bare 
rest-house  to  put  up  in. 

'  Women  require  so  much  paraphernalia,' 
my  husband  always  says.  '  They  are  so 
dependent  on  their  surroundings  that  one 
woman  is  as  much  trouble  to  move  as  a 
battalion  of  men.  They  want  their  home 
moved  with  them.  Like  snails  they  cannot 
go  without  their  shells.' 

So  the  men  set  off  alone,  and  Mrs.  Gallio 
was  left  for  me  to  look  after.  I  am  afraid  I 
did  not  do  it  very  well.  I  am  really  too  old 
to  be  a  companion  to  so  young  a  woman,  and 
Mrs.  Gallio  abandoned  my  company  for  that 
of  Mrs.  Sandys. 

I  am  afraid  I  don't  like  Mrs.  Sandys.  She 
knows  either  too  much  or  too  little — I  don't 
know  which.  I  think  that  unless  a  woman 
can  really  understand  things  she  had  better 
not  know  of  them.  It  is  not  necessary  for 
women  to  know  the  world  as  it  is  for  men. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  225 

And  Mrs.  Sandys  since  she  came  out  newly 
married  a  year  ago  has  made  a  great  many 
discoveries  about  men  and  women,  which  she 
giggles  and  gloats  over  without  understanding. 
I  am  sure  she  has  been  opening  Mrs.  Gallio's 
eyes,  and  I  am  vexed  because  Mrs.  Gallio  will 
see  things  wrongly. 

At  the  club  in  the  evening  Mrs.  Sandys 
takes  off  Mrs.  Gallio  and  keeps  her  in  private 
conversation  for  an  hour  or  more.  Well,  it 
cannot  be  helped,  but  I  shall  be  glad  when 
her  husband  comes  back  and  assumes  charge 
again.  For  the  girl,  even  in  these  two  days, 
has  changed,  has  become  thoughtful,  less 
happy,  and  sometimes  a  little  irritable. 

When  the  men  come  back  we  are  all  going 
to  shoot  duck  down  the  river. 


CHAPTER   XVI 


'  These  three  made  the  world,  and  are  in  all  the  world, 
and  keep  the  world  young  :  the  Creator,  the  Preserver,  the 
Destroyer — Brahma  and  Vishnu  and  Siva.' 


XVI 

;RS.  GALLIC  stood    beside  me 
regarding    the    bullock-cart    in 
which  we  were  to  drive  from 
our  camp  to  the  lake  where  the 
men  were  going  to  shoot.     She 
had  never    been  in  a  bullock- 
cart  before,  and  she  did  not  quite  know  if  she 
liked  it.     Her  husband  brought  a  chair  and 
held  out  his  hand. 
'  Get  up,'  he  said. 

But  she  hesitated.  '  That  bullock  has  a 
wicked  eye,'  she  complained. 

'  No,    no,'    he    answered.     '  That    is    not 

wickedness  you  see  in  his  eye  ;  it  is  bonhomie.' 

'  And  he  wags  his  tail  about  in  a  hasty  way 

instead  of  letting  it  hang  down  straight,'  she 

added. 

4  Sign  of  a  high-strung  yet  benignant  dis- 
position,' said  Mr.  Gallic.  '  Well,  Mrs. 
Windham,  will  you  get  up  first  and  show  my 
wife  the  way  ? ' 

So  I  climbed  into  the  cart  and  sat  down  on 
the  thick  straw  put  there  to  act  as  springs, 


23o  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

and  Mrs.  Gallic  got  in  beside  me.  I  think 
her  husband  likes  her  pretty  nervousness  ;  it 
gives  him  an  opportunity  to  protect  and  care 
for  her.  Really  she  is  brave  enough. 

Then  we  set  off,  the  men  in  front  on  ponies, 
four  women  in  carts  behind.  The  ponies 
tossed  their  heads  and  cantered,  while  our 
bullocks  trotted  vigorously. 

It  was  a  glorious  morning.  The  air  was 
cool  and  fresh,  and  the  sun  had  hardly  risen. 
Our  way  lay  through  lanes  bordered  with 
hedges.  There  were  blue  morning-glories  in 
masses  on  both  sides,  and  the  dew  hung  on 
their  petals.  All  the  world  sparkled  with  the 
freshness  of  the  day. 

'  Have  you  ever  been  to  a  duck-shoot 
before  ? '  I  asked. 

She  shook  her  head.  c  It  is  all  new  to  me. 
I  want  to  see  it  very  much.  My  husband 
says  I  can  go  to  his  butt  with  him.' 

I  looked  at  her  in  seriousness.  Should  I 
warn  her  or  should  I  not  ?  For  a  few  minutes 
I  said  nothing,  and  then  it  seemed  to  me  that 
I  had  better  speak.  Happiness  is  so  easily 
wrecked  by  little  things,  and  she  was  so  young. 

'  My  dear,  I  wouldn't  go,'  I  said. 

She  looked  at  me  in  surprise.  '  Why  not  ? 
Do  you  never  go  with  Mr.  Windham  ?  Isn't 
it  the  proper  thing  to  do  ? ' 

*  I  think  that  the  men  would  sooner  be 
alone  to  shoot,'  I  said.  '  It  is  their  business, 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  231 

and  not  ours.    It  is  their  nature  to  like  killing 
things,  but  not  ours.' 

'  No,'  she  admitted. 

'  And,'  I  went  on,  '  men  like  to  be  alone 
sometimes.  They  like  to  feel  they  are  free.' 

She  nodded  her  head  reflectively,  thinking. 

'  You  would  not  want  your  husband,  if  you 
were  busy  in  household  affairs.' 

'  Oh,  but  this  is  sport,'  she  answered. 

'  Men  take  their  sport  quite  seriously. 
Besides — let  him  go  free,  my  dear,  sometimes, 
let  him  go  free/ 

For  a  time  she  did  not  answer,  sitting,  her 
hands  folded  in  her  lap,  her  eyes  upon  the 
distance.  Then  suddenly  her  face  lighted  up 
with  a  bright  smile  as  she  turned  to  me. 

*  Thank  you,'  she  said. 

We  passed  through  little  strips  of  forest,  and 
heard  the  jungle  cocks  and  partridges  crowing 
their  morning  call.  A  hare  ran  past  us  in  a 
field,  and  far  off  we  marked  a  deer.  Then 
through  the  trees  we  saw  the  shining  levels  of 
the  lake. 

The  men  had  got  there  first,  and  were  wait- 
ing for  us  at  a  farmer's  house  upon  the  bank, 
and  helped  us  down.  A  place  had  been  made 
for  us  to  rest  in  and  watch  the  distant  shoot- 
ing, and  our  servants  were  bringing  breakfast 
Our  comfort  was  well  provided  for. 

Then  the  men  went  down  to  their  boats, 
long,  narrow  canoes  hollowed  out  of  single 


232  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

logs  poled  by  a  Burmese  boatman  from  behind, 
and  each  went  off  to  his  appointed  butt  built 
in  the  bushes  and  reeds  about  the  lake  or  on 
the  islands. 

We  saw  the  long,  lithe  skiffs  skim  over  the 
water,  putting  up  here  and  there  an  outlying 
duck  or  making  the  divers  disappear,  and  then 
they  were  lost  to  sight. 

So  we  sat  there  under  the  pandal  and  we 
waited. 

The  lake  was  beautiful  under  the  morning 
light.  It  was  not  a  great  sheet  of  open  water, 
but  more  like  a  maze  of  broad  and  narrow 
water  lanes  bounded  by  lily  beds  and  banks  of 
high  and  feathered  grass  and  bushes.  Upon 
the  banks  were  forest  trees,  some  with  bright 
scarlet  blossoms  that  shone  reflected  in  the 
water  like  sub-aqueous  flames.  There  was  no 
ripple  on  the  lake,  for  the  morning  calm  had 
not  yet  passed  and  filmy  mists  still  veiled  its 
farther  inlets.  But  the  air  was  full  of  golden 
light,  and  the  sky  was  blue  as  the  ocean  is. 

It  was  a  scene  of  peace  and  quiet,  where 
everything  was  glad. 

Then  suddenly  there  came  a  shot,  another, 
and  many  more,  and  the  quietness  was  broken. 
There  arose  a  roar  and  rush  as  the  innumerable 
geese  and  duck  and  teal  rose  up  from  the  in- 
lets of  the  lake  into  the  air.  The  sky  was  full 
of  startled  birds  flying  hither  and  thither  in 
startled  disorder,  and  we  heard  the  guns  from 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  233 

all  the  butts.  But  presently  the  birds  resolved 
themselves  into  companies.  The  geese  in  two 
wedges  flew  towards  the  river  and  the  warm 
sand-banks  which  they  had  only  left  an  hour 
before.  The  different  kinds  of  duck,  pochard 
and  pintail,  gadwal  and  cone  duck,  the  whist- 
ling teal,  the  cotton  teal,  and  others,  assembled 
together  and  in  long  skeins  flew  round  the  lake 
seeking  a  quiet  place.  We  saw  the  canoes 
glide  out  from  their  hiding-place  in  the  reeds 
and  retrieve  the  fallen,  a  hawk  would  strike  at 
a  wounded  bird,  and  then  the  lake  fell  back 
into  its  quietude.  In  front  of  us  a  diver  seated 
on  a  dead  branch  above  the  water  extended  its 
wings  to  dry  in  the  sun,  and  the  water-hens 
swam  to  and  fro.  The  guns  had  not  disturbed 
them  ;  they  knew  that  they  were  safe. 

A  pied  kingfisher  came  and  hovered  over  the 
water  close  by  us  ;  with  a  splash  he  dropped 
and  disappeared,  then  rose  again  and  flew  away 
with  a  tiny  silver  fish  wriggling  in  his  beak. 

Every  now  and  then  a  wedge  of  geese  or  duck 
or  teal  would  come  back  from  their  wanderings 
or  swoop  down  from  the  heavens  above  with 
a  tear  of  the  riven  air,  and  as  they  passed 
some  butt  the  gun  would  go  off,  and  one  or  two 
would  fall.  Then  the  rest  would  swerve  or 
would  soar  again  upward. 

How  fast  the  wild-duck  fly,  and  their  curved 
wings  as  they  swoop  down,  how  beautiful  they 
are.  And  how  sadly  they  drop  down,  suddenly 


234  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

rendered  lifeless,  no  better  than  the  stones,  less 
beautiful  than  the  weeds  about  them. 

How  horrible  and  terrible  is  death,  that 
change  from  a  living  thing  to  an  inert  and 
huddled  heap. 

How  can  men  like  to  deal  it  out  ? 

So  all  the  brilliant  morning  hours  the  shoot 
went  on.  When  it  was  time  for  lunch,  a 
Burman  policeman  fired  three  shots  in  quick 
succession  from  near  our  pandal  to  recall  the 
shooters,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  saw  them 
coming  back.  They  were  muddy  and  wet  and 
sunburnt  and  hot  and  happy.  Their  bags 
were  spread  out  upon  the  shore  and  we  went 
to  look.  But  alas,  alas  !  Were  these  blood- 
stained, draggled,  and  lustreless  lumps  of  feathers 
the  same  beautiful  duck  we  had  seen  fly  past  ? 
With  their  life  had  gone  all  their  beauty. 
Their  once  shining  feathers  were  dull,  their 
wings  hung  like  rags.  We  did  not  like  to 
look  at  them. 

Then  we  had  lunch — and  how  the  men  ate  ! 

After  lunch  it  was  arranged  that  we  should 
go  back  to  our  camp  while  the  men  went  off 
to  shoot  snipe  in  the  rice-fields  beyond  the  lake. 
They  were  getting  up  to  go  when  I  saw  Mr. 
Gallio  speak  to  his  wife.  I  didn't  hear  what 
he  said,  but  I  saw  her  look  up.  She  shook 
her  head  ;  he  insisted,  and  she  gave  way.  Then 
she  came  over  to  me. 

*  Do  you  want  to  go  back  so  soon  ? '  she  asked. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  235 

4  Why  not  ? '  I  said.  '  The  men  will  not 
return  here.  They  will  go  straight  back  from 
the  fields.' 

4  But  suppose,'  she  said,  *  suppose  that  there 
was  a  man  who  said  he  didn't  want  to  shoot 
any  more,  just  now,  but  would  take  us  both  ir^ 
a  boat  on  the  lake,  would  you  go  ? ' 

I  held  up  a  warning  finger. 

*  I  said  I  did  not  want  to  go  in  a  boat,'  she 
answered,  'but  he  said  I  must.' 

4  To  that  there  is  no  reply,'  I  said.  '  Did  he 
say  I  must  go  with  you  ?  ' 

1  Of  course  not,  but  you  will  ? ' 

I  laughed.  She  was  yearning  of  course  to 
go,  but  she  was  afraid  she  might  be  doing 
wrong.  She  remembered  what  I  had  told 
her.  So  I  said, 

4  Very  well,  we  '11  go.' 

Mr.  Gallic  sat  in  the  bows  ;  we  sat  close 
together  in  the  middle,  and  the  boatman  poled 
us  from  the  stern.  The  long  canoe  glided 
along  with  a  most  pleasant  motion,  hardly 
disturbing  the  water  as  we  passed.  We  crossed 
the  broad  expanse  and  came  to  the  other  side 
where  the  islands  were,  and  coasted  round 
them.  There  were  long,  open  channels  that 
ran  up  inland  between  beds  of  water-lilies  and 
of  reeds.  Innumerable  birds  flitted  or  swam 
about  us,  swallows  and  terns  above,  coots  and 
grebes  in  the  water.  And  over  the  water- 
lily  pads  the  wagtails  ran,  dodging  and 


236  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

darting  here  and  there  collecting  an  insect 
luncheon. 

Then  we  wanted  to  gather  flowers.  There 
were  water-lilies  of  many  kinds,  red  and  pink 
and  white,  but  the  prettiest  were  light  blue. 
So  the  boatman  pushed  the  boat  into  a  mass 
of  them,  and  we  began  to  pick.  Then  Mrs. 
Gallic  stopped,  peered  earnestly  over  the  side 
into  a  tangle  of  flowers  under  the  bank,  and 
said,  'Hush  !  look  there.' 

I  looked,  but  I  could  see  nothing.  '  I  see 
a  head,'  she  said,  c  and  an  eye,  such  a  bright 
eye,'  and  pointed  with  her  finger. 

Then  I  saw  it  myself.     It  was  a  little  teal. 

We  pulled  the  boat  towards  it,  hoping 
to  catch  it,  but  just  as  she  reached  out  it 
dived. 

A  moment  later  it  was  up  again  in  a  little 
open  water,  and  Mr.  Gallic  said,  '  It 's  a 
wounded  teal.' 

It  dived  again.  But  the  poor  little  bird  was 
tired  and  faint.  It  could  not  keep  under 
water  ;  it  could  not  fly.  It  could  only  flutter 
along  the  surface  and  we  soon  caught  it. 

Mrs.  Gallio  clasped  it  with  both  her  hands 
and  lifted  it  on  to  her  lap.  It  kicked  for  a 
minute  and  then  lay  helpless,  exhausted, 
panting,  regarding  her  with  a  round,  bright 
eye  of  fear. 

'  Best  let  me  kill  it,'  said  Mr.  Gallio  quietly. 
'  It  is  wounded  and  will  only  die.' 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  237 

But  she  indignantly  refused,  stroking  its 
plumage  with  one  finger.  All  her  mother 
instinct  was  up  in  arms.  c  Indeed  you  shan't. 
You  did  your  killing  this  morning,  now  I  will 
do  a  little  of  my  saving.'  She  felt  it  over 
with  care.  'It  has  a  broken  wing.' 

So  she  and  I  gave  it  first  aid.  We  bound 
it  gently  but  firmly  in  strips  torn  from  Mr. 
Gallio's  handkerchief,  so  that  it  could  not 
move.  Then  we  laid  it  in  the  basket  amid 
the  cool  water-plants  where  it  would  have 
shade  and  solitude. 

4  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  it  ? '  asked 
Mr.  Gallic. 

'  Nurse  it  and  heal  it,'  she  answered.  '  I 
will  get  Captain  Burn  to  set  the  wing  this 
evening.  And  you  like  to  kill,'  she  said. 
'  Why  do  you  always  want  to  kill  ? ' 

1  Because  it  is  born  in  us,'  he  answered. 

4  Death  is  such  a  dreadful  thing,'  she  com- 
plained. '  To  see  a  bird,  strong,  beautiful,  and 
happy,  crumple  up  and  fall  a  lifeless  mass  of 
draggled  feathers,  to  see  a  hare  roll  over  and 
to  hear  his  scream.  How  can  you  men  bear 
to  do  it?  Don't  you  agree  with  me,  Mrs. 
Windham  ? ' 

'  Death  is  a  dreadful  thing,'  I  echoed.  4  It 
is  sad  to  think  that,  whether  shot  or  not, 
sooner  or  later  all  these  birds  must  die,  the 
hares  must  die,  and  we — we  too.' 

'  Yes,    we — we   too,'   she   answered,  and  a 


238  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

look  of  fear  came  to  her  face.  '  Why  do  all 
things  die  ?  Why  is  there  death  at  all  ?  Why 
can't  we  live  for  ever  ? '  It  seemed  as  if  there 
came  a  shadow  in  the  golden  light,  a  chill 
within  the  warmth,  a  fear  that  marred  the 
glory  of  the  day. 

4  Why  is  there  death  ? '  asked  Mrs.  Gallic 
of  her  husband.  *  Have  you  a  fairy  tale  that 
answers  that  ? ' 

4  A  fairy  tale  ?  '  I  asked,  surprised. 

4  He  says  that  all  the  riddles  of  the  world 
were  answered  long  ago  in  fairy  tales/  said 
Mrs.  Gallic,  '  and  if  the  world  now  still  asks 
the  same  old  questions,  it  is  because  they  have 
blinded  themselves  so  that  they  can  neither 
interpret  the  fairy  tales  nor  read  the  world  so 
as  to  write  them  afresh.' 

I  looked  at  Mr.  Gallic  and  he  nodded. 

'  This  too  ? '  I  asked ;  '  this  mystery  of  death, 
why  death  should  be  and  what  it  means — is 
this  explained  ? ' 

4  It  is,'  he  answered. 

4  Tell  us  the  fairy  tale,'  I  begged. 

He  looked  half  doubtful. 

4  Ask  your  husband  to  tell  it  us,'  I  said  to 
Mrs.  Gallio. 

She  glanced  and  smiled  at  him,  and  he 
laughed  back. 

'  Very  well,'  he  said.  4  Only  we  must  be 
quiet.' 

So  at  his  order  the  boatman  poled  us  to  a 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  239 

shadowed  water-nook,  where  trees  hung  pen- 
dent arms  about  us  and  the  air  was  still. 

'  I  hope  it  is  not  sad/  I  asked. 

He  shook  his  head.   '  No  fairy  tales  are  sad.' 

« Why  not  ? ' 

'  Because  they  are  true,'  he  answered.  '  The 
unchanging  truths  that  lie  below  the  changing 
forms  of  things  are  ever-beautiful  and  happy.' 

'  Even  of  death  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Especially  of  death,'  he  answered. 

*  Please  begin,'  I  said.  '  May  we  ask  ques- 
tions if  we  do  not  understand  ? '  I  asked  of 
Mrs.  Gallio. 

4  Yes,  yes,'  she  said.  '  You  ask  and  I  will 
listen.'  Then  to  her  husband  :  '  Please  begin.' 

He  came  a  little  nearer  us  and  sat  upon  the 
gunwale,  looking  down.  But  his  face  was 
rapt,  as  of  one  who  sees  into  the  inner  sense  of 
things.  He  said  : 

'  Tithonus  loved  the  Daw?i.y 

'  Who  was  Tithonus  ? ' 

'Tithonus  is  every  one  that  ever  lived,  or 
will  live,  all  men,  all  women.  Tithonus  is 
you  and  I.' 

'  Why  did  he  love  the  Dawn  ? ' 

'  Do  you  not  love  the  Dawn  ? '  he  answered. 
'  She  is  the  youth  of  things,  when  all  is  beauti- 
ful and  new  ;  she  is  our  youth,  when  the  world 
to  us  is  wonderful,  lit  with  the  growing  light  of 
hope  and  promise.  What  does  not  seem  to 
lie  before  us  in  the  dawn  ?  She  is  the  youth 


240  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

of  life,  the  fields  in  spring,  the  opening  flowers, 
the  song  of  love-awakened  birds.  The  Dawn 
has  roseate  fingers,  and  all  she  touches  is  made 
young.  Do  you  not  love  the  Dawn  ? ' 

He  ceased,  and  thoughts  born  of  his  words 
possessed  my  brain,  my  heart,  my  soul.  At 
last,  '  Go  on,'  I  said. 

1  Tithonus  was  afraid  of  death — Tithonus  is 
you  and  I.' 

He  ceased  again  and  let  the  silence  and  the 
fear  born  of  the  words  tell  their  own  tale. 

'  He  asked  the  Dawn  to  give  him  immortality 
— Tithonus  is  you  and  I.' 

Even  the  water  lapping  on  the  boat  was 
stilled.  In  the  deep,  golden  hush  no  other 
sound  was  heard.  His  words  possessed  the 
silence  all  alone. 

'  She  gave  him  what  he  asked.  Tithonus  could 
not  die.  But  he  grew  old  and  old — and  old — so 
would  you  and  I.' 

I  hid  my  face  within  my  hands.  I  think 
that  Mrs.  Gallic  cried  down  there  in  the 
silence.  The  strain  grew  tenser. 

4  The  Dawn  grows  never  old.  Out  of  her  bath 
of  darkness  and  of  death  she  rises  afresh  each 
morn.  The  Dawn  is  not  afraid  of  death ;  she 
knows  that  Dawn  is  born  anew  from  out  the  sunset 
and  dark.  For  life  and  death  are  one.' 

+/ 

*  What  happened  to  Tithonus  ? ' 
'  He  grew  so  old  he  longed  for  death.      Though 
he  had  prayed  for  immortality  and  got  his  prayer 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  241 

he  wearied  of  it.  He  prayed  the  Dawn  to  give 
him  death — and  so  eternal  youth.  He  felt  his 
immortality  lie  on  him  like  a  curse. — So  would  do 
you  and  I  were  we  immortal.' 

'  Did  she  give  it  him  ? ' 

6  She  could  not  give  him  death^  because  he  was 
immortal.  She  changed  him  from  a  man  into  a 
grasshopper. ' 

'  Why  that  ?  ' 

'  Because  he  sings  at  Dawn.  His  is  the  voice 
of  Immortality  that  sings  the  hymn  of  Dawn. 
Death  is  the  gate  of  life,  the  only  gate.  That 
is  the  hymn  of  Dawn.' 

'  What  is  the  hymn  of  Death  ? '  asked 
Mrs.  Gallic. 

'The  same,'  he  answered.     'They  are  one.' 

He  ceased  to  speak.  The  chill  and  fear 
had  gone — gladness  filled  the  air,  the  light, 
the  world.  I  looked  up  and  I  smiled. 

'  Go  on,'  I  said. 

'  There  is  no  more,'  he  answered.  '  What 
more  would  you  have  ?  Is  it  not  enough  ? ' 

'  It  is  enough,'  I  answered. 

In  the  evening  we  went  back.  The  sun 
had  set  in  a  great  glory,  and  the  day  was  done. 

So  ended  our  Christmas  week.  The  Gallios 
left  next  morning  early  on  their  raft. 

I  am  glad  they  came. 

And  I  hope  I  shall  see  them  again,  for  I 
want  to  know  how  that  marriage  will  turn  out. 

Q 


242  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

It  will  be  either  very  good  or  very  bad. 
Both  are  so  strong,  so  passionate,  and  so  true, 
that  neither  could  endure  the  half-marriage 
which  is  the  rule.  Each  will  want  all — or 
none.  They  must  be  one  in  soul,  or  they  will 
be  separate.  I  can  see  that  well  enough. 

Which  will  it  be  ? 


CHAPTER   XVII 


'Do  you  measure  the  water  by  weight  or  the  corn  by 
the  number  ?  Do  you  hear  with  the  eye  or  taste  with 
the  finger?  Can  the  jeweller  judge  of  the  granite  or  the 
architect  judge  of  the  flower?  Then  neither  can  you  judge 
man  by  woman  nor  woman  by  man.'  GANGLER. 


XVII 

ESBIA,'  I  said,  drawing  my 
chair  a  little  nearer  hers, 
'  isn't  it  jolly  to  be  alone 
together  again  ?  * 

She    looked   at  me  a  little 
wistfully.      '  Are   you    sure  ? ' 
she  asked. 

'  Quite  sure,'  I  said.     c  Why  not  ? ' 
'  I  thought  you  were  glad  to  be  away  with 
other  men  again,  to  shoot,  to  play  cards  and 
billiards,  to  talk  your  men's  talk.' 

4  Oh  yes,'  I  answered.     '  I  like  men.     But 
you  I  love.' 

She  shook  her  head.  '  I  begin  to  see  that 
I  am  only  a  part  of  your  life,'  she  continued, 
'  a  minor  part.  You  would  live  your  life 
much  the  same  if  I  didn't  come  into  it  at  all.' 
'I  should  do  my  work  just  the  same,  if  you 
mean  that,'  I  answered. 

'  And    that  is  the  most   important  part  of 
life  .? ' 

'  It  must  be  so,'  I  said. 

'  So  that  a  wife  is  only  something  to  play 


246  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

with  when  work  is  done,  some  one  to  nurse 
you  if  you  are  sick,  to  give  you  children.' 

'  My  wife  is  my  heart,'  I  said.  c  My  hands 
work,  my  head  thinks,  but  my  heart  is  my  life.' 

She  only  smiled  again. 

*  So  that  to  men  marriage  is  an  incident, 
but  to  women  it  is  all  existence.' 

'  My  dear,  my  dear,'  I  said  ;  '  I  did  not  make 
the  world  and  men  and  women.  We  must  take 
life  as  it  is,  and  ourselves  as  we  are,  and  make 
the  best  of  them.  What  is  the  trouble  ? ' 

But  she  only  shook  her  head.  '  I  have 
been  thinking,'  she  said. 

'  What  has  made  you  think  now  ? ' 

'  Before  marriage,'  she  answered,  '  I  was  a 
girl  and  could  not  think.  Those  first  days 
coming  down  on  the  raft  I  was  too  bewildered 
to  think.  Everything  was  so  new,  and  events 
so  crowded.  When  we  came  to  Sagaing  I  had 
time  to  think,  especially  during  those  two  days 
you  left  me  to  go  deerstalking.' 

4  Should  I  not  have  gone  ?  Are  you  hurt  I 
went  ?  Lesbia,  why  didn't  you  tell  me  you 
didn't  want  me  to  go  ? ' 

4 1  did  not  mind,'  she  said.  '  It  isn't  that. 
But  I  have  been  hearing  things,  and  have  been 
thinking  and  still  am  thinking.' 

'  Then  give  it  up,'  I  said.  *  Surrender  your- 
self to  pleasure  once  again.  There  is  always 
time  to  think,  but  not  always  to  enjoy.  Ah, 
take  the  cash,  Lesbia,  let  the  debit  go.' 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  247 

She  shook  her  head.  '  I  can't  help  thinking 
now,  and  perhaps  it  is  better  to  get  it  over.' 

'  Get  what  over  ? ' 

'There  are  things  I  want  to  understand.' 

'  Ask  me  and  I  will  tell  you.' 

4  Presently,'  she  said. 

4  Lesbia,'  I  said  urgently,  4  don't  brood 
on  things.  Be  open  with  me  always.  Tell 
me  what  's  in  your  mind  ;  show  me  your 
heart.  Love  lies  in  telling  secrets,  every  secret 
thing.  Secrecy  and  love  cannot  live  together.' 

4  Presently,'  she  said,  '  when  I  have  arranged 
in  my  mind  what  it  is  I  want  to  know.' 

4  When  will  that  be  ? ' 

4 1  do  not  know.* 

And  more  she  would  not  say. 

So  we  floated  on. 

The  river  was  not  so  beautiful  down  here. 
The  mountains  on  either  side  had  receded  far 
away.  It  was  an  undulating  and  a  barren 
land  that  we  were  travelling  through.  There 
were  fields  of  cotton  and  Indian  corn  and 
jowar  and  other  crops,  but  much  of  the  land 
was  waste.  Yet  the  light  on  it  made  it 
beautiful  still,  and  there  were  villages  on  the 
banks. 

At  noon  we  stopped  for  a  time  at  a  village 
I  knew  well,  and  no  sooner  had  we  stopped 
than  we  were  invaded. 

Old  friends  of  mine  knew  that  I  was 
coming,  and  had  come  down  to  meet  me. 


248  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

There  were  the  headman  and  elders  of  the 
village  and  the  head  constable  of  police  and 
their  wives,  and  there  were  other  women  and 
girls  and  children.  Our  little  salon  was  full  of 
people  and  the  forecastle  also. 

'  Who  are  these  men  ? '  asked  Lesbia. 

c  Old  friends  of  mine,'  I  answered.  '  We 
have  done  business  together  and  talked  together 
and  played  together  in  the  old  days.* 

'  And  the  women  ?  * 

c  They  were  girls  when  I  knew  them  first, 
and  used  to  dance  in  the  village  ballet  which 
I  got  up.  Now  they  are  married.' 

*  And  the  girls  ? ' 

'  I  knew  them  as  children.' 

c  And  the  children  ? ' 

'  Their  fathers  and  mothers  were  friends  of 
mine,  and  I  have  known  them  since  they 
were  born.' 

Lesbia  felt  shy  and  ill  at  ease.  She  evidently 
thought  that  the  visitors'  first  object  was 
to  criticise  her,  which  she  resented.  And  I 
don't  think  she  likes  children.  Few  women 
do,  except  their  own,  while  nearly  all  men 
adore  them.  There  is  something  much  more 
akin  between  a  man's  mind  and  a  child's  than 
between  a  woman's  and  a  child's.  Women 
are  more  secret,  more  artificial,  I  think,  while 
men  and  children  are  more  frank  and  open. 
And  that  is,  I  think,  why  a  woman  wants  to 
*  mother  '  both. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  249 

They  all  brought  flowers  and  fruit  and  laid 
them  at  Lesbia's  feet. 

4  How  nice  of  them  ! '  she  said.  '  What 
do  they  do  it  for  ? ' 

'  They  are  the  eastern's  visiting-cards,'  I  said. 

Then  we  began  to  talk  about  old  times  and 
friends.  They  told  me  who  was  married  and 
who  had  died.  They  discoursed  of  village  affairs. 
Then  the  children  inspected  Lady's  family  and 
she  allowed  them.  She  did  not  growl  nor  show 
her  teeth,  but  was  pleased  and  proud.  Only 
if  one  of  them  lifted  up  a  puppy  she  whined 
to  say,  '  Now  do  be  careful,  please.' 

The  invalid  teal  was  also  inspected  in  his 
dark  corner.  He  seemed  quite  comfortable 
with  his  arm  in  splints.  He  had  acquired 
the  name  of  Bai  and  was  fed  with  slugs.  The 
women  were  highly  pleased  with  this  evidence 
of  Lesbia's  tender  heart,  and  one  repeated  a 
rhyme  : 

Man  gives, 
Woman  receives ; 
Man  earns, 
Woman  spends  ; 
Man  wastes, 
Woman  saves. 
Man  acts, 
Woman  bears ; 
Man  creates, 
Woman  preserves ; 
Man  destroys, 

And 

Man's  word  is  Yes, 
But  Woman's  word  is  No. 


250  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

When  I  told  Lesbia  she  laughed.  '  I  must 
remember  it,'  she  said.  c  It  is  a  complete 
code  of  marriage  in  a  few  words.' 

I  enjoyed  the  visit  very  much,  but  I  think 
Lesbia  was  relieved  when  they  all  went  away 
and  we  started  again.  Although  she  tries  not 
to  show  it,  I  am  sure  she  doesn't  like  being 
continually  reminded  that  I  lived  before  we 
were  married.  It  does  not  seem  fair  to  her. 
And  anyhow  she  thinks  I  ought  to  begin  a 
new  life  now. 

So  after  an  hour  we  went  on  drifting  down. 
It  was  a  glorious  afternoon  ;  the  air  was  a 
bath  of  light  and  warmth  and  joy.  But 
Lesbia  was  unhappy.  She  wanted  to*  speak 
and  yet  was  afraid  to  speak.  And  I  could 
not  help  her.  I  could  only  wait  with  strong 
foreboding.  For  a  woman  is  not  made  to 
know  but  to  accept.  Her  relation  to  life  is 
not  such  as  enables  her  to  understand  many 
things.  In  the  monad,  which  is  a  man  and 
woman,  nature  does  not  duplicate  qualities. 
What  men  have  women  have  not,  and  the 
reverse.  We  are  complementary  and  neces- 
sary to  each,  and  never  competitive.  Yet  she 
is  ever  curious. 

We  had  our  tea  on  the  forecastle  while  we 
travelled  under  a  high  bank  that  shaded  us. 
We  passed  quite  close  to  a  herd  of  buffaloes 
who  were  lying  in  the  shallows.  They  looked 
at  us  with  frightened  eyes,  but  would  not 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  251 

move  their  great  ungainly  bodies.  Then  we 
drifted  out  into  a  long  reach  down  which  the 
sun  was  setting.  It  was  one  of  the  most  won- 
derful displays  I  ever  saw.  There  were  thin 
bars  of  cloud  across  the  sunset,  and  as  the  sun 
went  behind  them  they  glowed  with  intensest 
gold,  while  the  sky  was  like  an  emerald  sea. 
And  when  the  sun  had  set  all  turned  to  a 
crimson  glow  that  throbbed  with  the  passion 
of  the  dying  day. 

Then  along  the  fields  the  evening  mist 
unfolded  like  lawn  veils  that  earth  drew  over 
her  to  hide  her  sleep. 

And  Lesbia  looked  at  it  with  troubled  eyes. 

So  in  the  evening  hush  I  drew  close  up  to 
her  and  said,  '  Tell  me  now  what  is  it  ? ' 

I  took  her  hand  and  stroked  it,  but  she 
withdrew  it.  She  found  it  hard  to  speak,  but 
at  last  she  nerved  herself  and  said  : 

4 1  want  to  know — to  know.' 

4  Yes,  what  ? ' 

She  found  it  hard  to  say,  but  at  last  she 
found  a  way. 

4  A  girl  is  the  Sleeping  Beauty  till  her 
Prince  comes.' 

I  nodded. 

*  Yes,  it  is  true,'  she  said.  '  I  know.  But 
I  want  to  know — about  a  man.' 

4  What  about  us  ? ' 

4  Who  is  it  wakens  you  ? ' 

4  We  never  are  in  the  garden  like  you  are.' 


252  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

'  But  as  boys.' 

'  Well,  of  course.     But  we  waken  slowly.' 

'  Through  women  ?  * 

*  Partly  so,  and  what  we  are  told  and  feel.' 

'  What  women  ? ' 

I  did  not  answer. 

'  Was  it  to  meet  some  of  them  that  you 
and  the  Cavalier  went  after  your  dinner  in 
the  "  Boul  Mich  "  ? ' 

'  Oh,'  and  I  laughed,  '  I  thought  you  were 
asleep.' 

'  I  heard  you  quite  well,  though  I  was 
nearly  asleep,'  she  said  with  dignity.  '  Was  it  ? ' 

'  Maybe  it  was,  maybe  it  wasn't,'  I  answered. 

'You  are  ashamed  to  answer,'  she  affirmed. 

'  Not  in  the  least,'  I  replied. 

4  Then  why  don't  you  ?  ' 

'  Because  you  have  no  right  to  ask.' 

'  No  right  ?  Am  I  not  your  wife  ?  '  and 
she  flushed.  Evidently  she  was  getting  angry. 

'You  were  not  my  wife  then.' 

'  I  don't  think  I  would  ever  have  been  your 
wife  if  I  had  realised,'  she  said  gravely. 

'  I  can't  help  that,'  I  said  cheerfully.  '  I 
didn't  bring  you  up  to  enter  into  a  contract 
in  ignorance  of  what  you  were  doing.  Don't 
blame  me.  Blame  yourself.' 

'  We  girls  come  to  you  innocent  and  pure, 
but  how  do  you  come  to  us  ? ' 

'  Oh  !  '  I  said  ;  '  is  that  the  trouble  ? ' 
She  nodded. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  253 

'  Men  are  not  women,'  I  answered.  '  We 
have  to  do  the  work  of  life  in  life.  We 
could  not  do  it  did  we  live  in  the  garden  of 
Eden.' 

'That  is  an  excuse.' 

c  It  is  true,'  I  answered. 

'  You  are  not  ashamed  of  it  ? '  she  cried. 

'  Most  certainly  not.' 

'  Nor  of  the  misery  and  sin  it  causes  ? ' 

'  There  is  no  misery  nor  sin  in  what  is 
natural  and  inevitable.  The  sin  lies  in  laws 
and  conventions  which  deny  facts  and  so 
create  misery.' 

c  If  you  were  ashamed,'  she  said  slowly,  '  I 
would  forgive.  But  if  you  are  not,  what  am 
I  to  do  ? ' 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said,  c  I  cannot  explain  things, 
for  you  would  not  understand.  You  must 
take  my  word  for  it.  Men  are  not  like  women. 
What  is  good  for  you  is  not  good  for  us.' 

'That  is  only  an  excuse.' 

'  It  is  no  excuse,  but  a  truth,'  I  said.  '  I 
am  not  in  the  habit  of  excusing  myself.' 

'  How  much  better  women  are  then  than 
men,'  she  said. 

c  That  is  not  true  either,'  I  answered. 

'  If  we  did  as  you  do,  what  would  you 
think  of  us  ? ' 

'Each  follows  his  or  her  nature.' 

'  Then  how  much  higher  a  woman's  nature 
is.' 


254  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

'  There  is  no  higher  nor  lower  in  nature,' 
I  replied.  '  Nature  has  her  ways  to  her  own 
ends.  If  man  is  man  and  woman  is  woman, 
there  is  a  reason  for  both.' 

Lesbia  did  not  answer,  but  I  could  see  that 
she  was  flushed  and  angry. 

'  Lesbia,'  I  said  softly,  '  forget  it  all,  my 
dear.  Come  and  be  happy  once  again.' 

'  I  will  not,'  she  burst  out.  '  I  think  it  is 
dreadful.  Now  that  I  realise  it  I  shall  never 
feel  the  same  to  you  again.' 

'Judge  not  that  ye  be  not  judged,'  I  said. 

1  What  do  you  mean  ? '     And  she  faced  me. 

'The  standards  in  women  and  men  are 
different,'  I  replied.  '  We  do  not  measure 
you  by  our  standards.  You  would  fail.' 

'  What  standards  ? ' 

'  We  men  have  standards,'  I  said,  '  you 
know  nothing  of.  We  are  broad-minded,  we 
get  on  with  other  men,  we  do  not  judge 
them.  We  are  brave  to  meet  danger  and 
overcome  it,  to  go  out  into  the  world,  and 
we  are  truthful.' 

'  And  are  not  women  ?  ' 

'  No,'  I  said  ;  '  compared  with  men,  women 
are  narrow,  are  ignorant,  are  spiteful  and  petty, 
are  cowards,  and  are  most  untruthful.' 

'  How  dare  you  ?  '  she  cried.  '  Do  you 
mean  that  we  tell  lies  ? ' 

'  Not  necessarily  that,  but  you  will  say 
that  a  thing  is  true  which  you  know  nothing 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  255 

of,  whether  it  be  really  true  or  not.  You 
will  repeat  as  true  what  is  only  hearsay,  and 
bad  hearsay  at  that.  You  prefer  to  believe 
evil  of  another  rather  than  good.  You  will 
bear  false  witness.  In  courts  it  is  notorious 
how  untruthful  women  are.  You  are  un- 
scrupulous, and  you  don't  know  what  honour 
is.  There  is  not  a  woman  in  a  hundred  who, 
if  she  were  suddenly  to  become  a  man,  and 
continued  to  act  as  a  woman,  would  be 
accepted  in  any  club  or  service  or  company 
of  men  at  all.' 

She  jumped  up  before  me,  her  face  scarlet 
with  rage. 

'Why  did  you  marry  a  woman  if  you  thought 
they  were  like  that  ?  '  she  cried. 

'  Men  marry  women  because  they  are  totally 
unlike  men.  If  women  were  like  men,  we 
should  never  marry.  Why  should  we  ? ' 

'  But  if  they  are  worse.  If  they  are  un- 
truthful and '  she  was  becoming  almost 

speechless  in  her  rage. 

c  I  did  not  say  women  were  so.  Women 
are  women,  and  there  it  ends  and  we  accept 
it.  I  said  that  if  women  claimed  to  judge 
men  by  women's  standards  then  men  would 
rightly  claim  to  judge  women  by  men's  standards, 
and  if  so  judged  you  would  be  all  I  said.  But 
we  do  not  judge  you  by  our  standards.  We  do 
not  judge  you  at  all.  We  know  it  is  your  nature 
and  accept  it  as  such.  There  is  no  doubt  some 


256  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

good  reason  for  it.  And  we  love  you.'  I  rose 
and  stood  beside  her  trying  to  comfort  her,  for 
she  was  in  tears. 

4  You  insult  not  only  me  but  all  my  sex,'  she 
cried. 

c  And  you  ?     Did  not  you  insult  mine  ? ' 

'  No,'  she  cried. 

I  was  silent,  looking  at  her. 

1  If  I  did,'  she  said  at  last,  '  you  deserved  it.' 
I  did  not  answer. 

She  was  panting  with  rage,  her  bosom 
heaved,  her  hands  were  tightened  into  fists. 
She  looked  at  me  with  eyes  of  passionate 
reproach.  And  then  she  ran  away  into  her 
bedroom. 

The  night  was  almost  come  by  now,  and 
presently  the  raftsmen  went  ashore  with  the 
mooring  ropes  and  drew  us  in.  I  sat  and 
smoked,  and  thought  of  Lesbia  there  within. 
Had  I  been  brutal  and  unkind  ?  When  I 
thought  of  her  misery,  I  reproached  myself. 
Then  the  reaction  came.  If  we  are  to  be  happy 
in  married  life  we  must  face  it  on  equal  terms. 
How  many  men  have  I  known  who  pre- 
tended to  humble  themselves  to  save  a  scene, 
who  acted  the  hypocrite  before  their  wives  ? 
They  paid  for  it  afterwards.  They  lost  their 
own  respect  and  their  wives'  respect  and  never 
regained  either.  How  could  they  ?  When 
a  man  is  ashamed  of  his  sex,  will  he  gain  the 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  257 

respect  of  the  other  ?     Whatever  I  did  I  would 
never  pretend. 

But,  poor  girl,  poor  girl  ! 

The  dinner  was  silent.  To  save  appearances 
when  Po  Chon  was  in,  she  spoke  a  sentence 
now  and  then  in  a  choked  voice.  And  when 
dinner  was  over  she  worked  at  some  needle- 
work sitting  in  the  salon.  I  sat  outside,  and 
Spot  and  Lady  came  and  licked  my  hand. 
How  quickly  dogs  understand  when  you  are 
in  trouble. 

I  sat  outside  alone.  And  I  remembered 
that  other  night  not  long  ago,  that  began  as 
this  did  in  a  quarrel  and  ended  in  happiness. 
But  a  spiritual  fight  is  more  bitter,  more  hard, 
than  any  physical  fight.  She  came  not  near  me. 

So  I  sat  out  till  the  dawn  came,  with  Lady 
in  my  lap. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 


'  Lo,  the  water  is  soft  ;  it  gives  to  the  touch,  yet  will  you 
mould  the  hardest  steel  sooner  than  it.  Water  is  the  most 
stubborn  of  all  things,  for  it  cannot  learn,  but  returns  always 
to  its  bed.'  GANGLER. 


XVIII 

>N  all  my  life  I  never  felt  so 
happy  as  I  did  a  week  ago,  and 
in  all  my  life  I  never  felt  so 
miserable  as  I  do  now.  I  did 
not  know  any  one  could  be 
so  unhappy  as  I  am.  There 
seems  nothing  left  to  me.  My  old  world,  my 
happy,  careless  girl-world,  of  which  mother 
was  the  centre,  I  left  for  him.  I  came  into 
his  world  and  made  of  him  my  centre,  and 
now  that  has  fallen  into  ruins.  I  loved  him — 
now  I  hate  him.  He  has  hurt  me  more  than 
if  he  had  beaten  me  with  a  stick  ;  my  body 
would  recover  from  a  bruise,  but  what  will 
heal  my  spirit  ? 

Oh  dear  !     Oh  dear  ! 

I  would  like  to  flee  away  somewhere  and 
never  see  him  again.  It  hurts  me  to  see  him, 
to  hear  him. 

To  go  in  to  dinner  with  him  is  a  martyrdom. 

Now  all  is  silent  save  the  gurgle  of  the  river 

in  the  logs.     I  neither  see  nor  hear  him — yet 

he  is  ever  present  with  me.     My  closed  eyes 


262  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

see  him  sitting  outside  and  smoking,  and  pre- 
sently I  will  hear  him  go  to  bed  just  there 
beyond  the  curtain. 

What  am  I  to  do  ? 

How  can  I  live  with  him  for  years  and 
years  ?  I  don't  think  that  if  I  had  realised  that 
men  were  like  this  I  would  ever  have  married. 
How  dared  he  !  Oh,  how  dared  he  say  what 
he  did  about  us  !  And  it  isn't  true  that  women 
are  like  that.  At  least  I  don't  think  it  is  all 
true.  We  are  not  quite  so  bad. 

How  long  the  night  is.  It  seems  weeks 
since  I  came  to  bed.  And  is  he  never  going 
to  bed  at  all  ?  Does  he  despise  me  so  much 
that  he  doesn't  want  to  be  near  me  even  with 
a  curtain  between  ?  What  a  disappointment 
marriage  is.  I  wonder  if  he  is  as  disappointed 
as  I  am  ? 

What  am  I  to  do  ? 

I  am  sure  it  isn't  good  for  him  to  be  sitting 
out  there  in  the  cold  like  that  all  night.  He 
must  hate  me  very  much. 

I  wish  I  didn't  feel  so  hot.  My  head  is 
burning,  and  though  I  keep  turning  the  pillow 
over  and  over  it  isn't  any  use,  as  it  is  hot  on 
both  sides  now. 

I  wonder  if  he  has  left  me,  gone  off  in  the 
boat,  perhaps,  because  he  doesn't  want  any  more 
of  me,  because  I  am  a  woman  and  women  are, 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  263 

in  his  opinion — all  the  things  he  said  they 
were.  Very  likely  he  has.  It  is  just  the  sort 
of  thing  he  would  do,  he  is  so  passionate.  And 
I  shall  find  a  letter  with  breakfast  and  money 
to  pay  my  passage  home.  I  heard  some  sounds 
an  hour  ago — that  was  he  going. 

I  sit  up  on  my  bed  terrified.  What  shall  I 
do  ?  My  heart  beats.  No  !  I  hear  him  move  in 
the  salon  and  speak  to  Lady.  What  a  relief! 

How  I  do  hate  him  ! 

Was  it  manly  to  say  what  he  did  ? 

In  all  my  life  I  never  did  so  much  thinking 
as  this  night.  My  head  just  spins  out 
thoughts  on  top  of  each  other.  But  mainly 
it  is  the  same  thought  over  and  over  again. 
I  am  tired  of  it.  I  have  quite  settled  what 
to  do  in  future.  I  am  married  to  him,  and 
there  are  the  convenances  to  be  considered.  I 
won't  have  people  pitying  me  or  him  and 
saying  'another  unhappy  marriage.'  I  shall 
nerve  myself  to  behave  to  him  in  future  with 
cool  courtesy.  But  oh  !  what  a  mockery  it 
will  be. 

ii 

I  went  to  bed  just  at  dawn  as  quietly  as  I 
could,  hoping  that  Lesbia  was  asleep  and 
would  not  hear  me.  But  I  heard  from 
beyond  the  curtain  something  between  a 
choke  and  a  sniff,  and  knew  she  was  awake. 


264  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

How  I  would  have  loved  to  go  in  and  comfort 
her.  But  it  would  only  have  made  matters 
worse.  I  expect  she  hates  me  and  thinks 
that  I  hate  her.  I  love  her  more  than  ever, 
dear  little  Pharisee.  But  is  there  anything 
that  causes  us  such  pain  to  get  rid  of  in  after 
life  as  the  Pharisaism  that  is  so  carefully 
driven  into  us  as  children  ? 

Well,  I  suppose  I  had  better  lie  down  in 
bed,  though  I  don't  feel  much  inclined  to 
sleep,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  Po  Chon  will 
bring  the  tea.  Even  now  I  hear  the  rafts- 
men preparing  to  unmoor. 


in 

It  is  after  breakfast. 

I  am  talking  to  Ma  Mie,  the  girl  who  is  Po 
Ka's  wife.  I  wanted  some  one  to  talk  to,  some 
companion  in  the  misfortune  of  marriage,  so  I 
sent  for  her. 

It  was  an  awful  breakfast — stone  cold.  I 
suppose  really  the  dishes  were  hot,  but 
nothing  seemed  so.  As  to  him,  I  could 
hardly  bear  to  look  at  him.  He  actually 
behaved  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  I 
supposed  he  would  be  ashamed  to  meet  me, 
but  he  wasn't.  He  came  in  just  when  break- 
fast was  on  the  table  and  said  *  Good-morning, 
Lesbia  ! '  but  he  did  not  kiss  me  at  all.  He 
did  not  dare  to  offer  to.  He  smiled  and 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  265 

talked  just  the  same  as  usual,  but  I  saw  that 
his  smile  I  used  to  like  so  much  is  only  a 
hollow  mockery  covering  a  hardened  heart. 
If  he  had  really  felt  sorry,  he  would  not  have 
eaten  that  extra  helping  of  curry.  I  couldn't. 
Such  are  men,  quite  brazen. 

So  I  send  for  Ma  Mie,  and  I  talk  to  her 
with  the  help  of  my  Madrassee  ayah.  She 
looks  bright  and  happy,  very  different  to  the 
miserable  little  girl  of  that  night  of  the 
conference  ten  days  ago.  I  suppose  she  is 
really  too  ignorant  to  understand,  and  that  is 
why  she  is  able  to  bear  it  so  well. 

'  How  old  are  you  ? '  I  ask. 

'  Seventeen,'  she  answers. 

'  Isn't  that  very  young  to  marry  ? '  I  ask. 

She  shakes  her  head,  surprised.  c  Oh  no. 
It  just  depends.  Some  girls  marry  at  sixteen, 
some  not  till  nineteen  or  even  twenty  some- 
times. It  depends.' 

'  What  does  it  depend  on  ? '  I  ask. 

'  On  when  she  falls  in  love,'  she  answers, 
looking  at  me  with  open  eyes  of  wonder  at 
my  question. 

What  an  extraordinary  idea  to  think  that 
the  ability  to  fall  in  love  shows  a  maturity 
for  marriage.  '  But  you  may  be  wrong  in 
falling  in  love,'  I  answer.  '  At  so  early  an 
age  you  can't  know  your  own  mind.' 

'  It  isn't  your  mind  that  falls  in  love,'  she 
answers. 


266  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

I  begin  to  find  it  more  difficult  to  talk  to 
her  than  I  expected.  She  has  such  funny 
ideas. 

'  Hasn't  a  girl  out  here  got  a  mind  ? '  I  ask. 

c  Oh  yes,'  she  answers,  '  but  the  use  of  the 
mind  is  to  make  the  best  of  love  when  it 
comes.  It  can't  alter  it,  or  create  it,  or  kill 
it — at  least  that  is  what  the  elders  say.' 

The  use  of  the  mind  is  to  make  the  best  of 
things  it  can't  control !  Poor  girl.  How 
badly  she  has  been  brought  up  in  this  pagan 
land. 

4  So,'  I  say,  '  when  you  have  fallen  in  love 
it 's  best  to  marry  ? ' 

'  Generally,'  she  says  ;  '  of  course  there 
are  exceptions.  Isn't  that  the  way  with  the 
Thakinmas  ? '  she  asks  shyly. 

'  No,'  I  answer.  '  We  subordinate  love  to 
judgment.' 

She  simply  stares  and  says  nothing.  It 
makes  me  feel  uncomfortable,  so  I  go  on. 
4  We  think  it  better  not  to  marry  till  much 
later.  I  am  nearly  twenty-one,  and  I  am 
considered  very  young  to  marry.' 

'  It  is  different  with  us/  she  says  simply. 
'  The  elders  say  that  a  girl  goes  into  a  man's 
life,  and  if  she  is  to  be  happy  there  she  must 
go  in  young.' 

4  Who  are  the  elders,'  I  ask,  '  priests  ? ' 

But  the  ayah  can't  translate  this,  because 
she  says  that  in  Burma  there  are  no  priests. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  267 

That  accounts  for  the  awful  state  of  this 
child's  mind.  I  find  it  more  difficult  than  I 
expected  talking  to  her.  Outside  I  hear  him 
whistling.  He  is  quite  happy,  though  his 
poor  wife  is  miserable.  What  is  a  wife  to 
him  ?  He  despises  women. 

*  Your  husband  Po  Ka  was  married  before  ? ' 
I  ask.  '  Don't  you  mind  ? ' 

'  Why  should  I  mind  ?  '  she  answers. 

There  again. 

'  Don't  you  mind  about  what  your  husband 
did  before  ? ' 

4 1  love  him  as  he  is.  What  have  I  got  to 
do  with  the  past  ? '  she  asks.  c  The  elders 
say  it  is  bad  to  look  at  the  past,  your  own  or 
others.  Make  all  you  can  of  the  present  and 
the  future.' 

I  wonder  why  there  are  not  more  mission- 
aries sent  out  to  this  poor  benighted  country. 
I  shall  subscribe  when  I  get  home. 

'  If  he  is  a  good  husband  to  me,  that  is  all 
I  want,'  she  continues. 

'  Suppose  he  isn't  ? ' 

Her  face  lights  up.  '  I  will  make  him  so,' 
she  says.  *  We  have  a  proverb,  "  Good  wives 
make  good  husbands." 

'  And  if  you  weren't  a  good  wife  ? ' 

'  He  could  divorce  me.' 

4  Do  you  mean  to  say,'  I  ask  aghast,  '  that 
he  can  divorce  you  for  no  reason  ? ' 

'  Not  for  no  reason,  but  if  we  were  very 


268  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

unhappy  together  he  could  divorce  me,  or  I 
could  divorce  him.  But  I  will  never  want  to 
divorce  him,  and  I  will  never  let  him  want 
to  divorce  me.' 

This  horrifies  me.  What  a  terrible  degra- 
dation of  marriage  to  allow  divorce  for  mere 
unhappiness.  Why  there  would  be  continual 
divorces  in  England. 

'  I  suppose,'  I  ask  the  ayah,  '  that  divorce 
is  very  common  among  these  people.' 

'  Oh  no,  ma'am,'  she  answers,  '  it  is  not 
common  at  all.  A  divorce  is  a  great  mis- 
fortune, and  both  husband  and  wife  study 
each  other  very  carefully,  so  that  it  very 
seldom  comes  to  that.  Besides,  the  elders 
will  not  grant  a  divorce  unless  they  see  the 
case  is  hopeless.' 

6  With  us, 'I  say,  *  marriage  is  a  more  beautiful 
and  sacred  thing  than  that.  When  we  marry, 
it  is  for  life  and  we  cannot  be  separated.' 

c  Not  even  if  you  quarrel  so  that  both  are 
always  miserable  ? '  asks  Ma  Mie. 

c  No.     We  just  make  the  best  of  it.' 

'  To  make  the  best  of  it  would  be  to  end  it, 
I  think,'  says  Ma  Mie  simply. 

It  horrifies  me  that  people  should  have  such 
dreadfully  materialistic  ideas  about  marriage 
and  take  it  merely  as  a  worldly  association  and 
not  as  a  sacrament ;  so  I  say  reverently, '  With 
us  marriage  is  more  than  an  association.  It  is 
a  vow  before  God  which  cannot  be  broken.' 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  269 

She  looks  at  me  questioningly.  '  If  your 
God  sees  that  with  the  best  will  in  the  world 
you  cannot  keep  your  vow  and  that  it  would  be 
better  for  yourselves  and  for  the  children  also 
that  you  be  divorced,  does  He  never  let  you  off  ? ' 

'  Never,'  I  say  decisively. 

'  I  am  glad  we  haven't  got  a  God  like  that,' 
she  answered  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

Evidently  there  is  no  good  talking.  Her 
mind  must  have  been  warped  as  a  child  to  have 
such  ideas. 

'  So  that,'  continued  Ma  Mie,  '  if  you  are 
once  married  that  settles  it  ? ' 

'Just  so,'  I  say. 

'  The  elders  tell  us,'  she  returned,  '  that 
marriage  is  a  continual  effort  of  both  husband 
and  wife  to  understand  the  other,  and  that  if  on 
either  side  this  stops  then  real  marriage  ends. 
I  couldn't  go  on  living  with  a  man  unless  we 
loved  each  other.' 

4  Not  if  you  were  married  ? '  I  ask. 

'  Unless  we  loved  each  other  we  wouldn't  be 
married.  It  would  be  only  a  pretence.  I 
would  sooner  die,'  she  says,  flushing  up,  '  than 
live  on  with  a  man  and  quarrel  with  him.  It 
would  be  awful,  and  so  bad  for  the  children.' 

'  But,'  I  say,  '  suppose  you  can't  help  it  ? ' 

'  The  elders  say,'  she  answered, '  that  you  can 
help  it.  If  you  begin  with  love,  then  you  can 
make  understanding  come  if  you  will,  if  both 
sides  try.' 


270  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  But  if  only  one  side  try  ?  * 

She  looks  at  me  and  shakes  her  head.  '  The 
elders  never  told  me  about  that/ 

'  What  do  you  think  about  it  yourself? '  I  ask. 

4 1  am  very  young,'  she  answered,  'and  do  not 
know  much  yet.  But  I  think,  I  think ' 

«  What  do  you  think  ? ' 

She  shook  her  head.  '  I  can't  think  yet. 
But  the  elders  say  that  the  happiness  of  marriage 
lies  usually  in  the  wife's  power.' 

Well,  well,  I  think  it  is  very  sad. 

Then  Ma  Mie  and  the  ayah  go  away  and  I 
am  alone  again.  I  take  up  my  work  and  remain 
in  the  salon. 

Outside  I  hear  him  talking  to  Po  Chon. 

And  I  begin  to  wonder  about  him.  Having 
lived  so  long  with  these  people,  I  dare  say  he  has 
become  infected  with  their  ideas.  Perhaps  he 
doesn't  fully  realise  that  he  is  married  for  life 
and  will  have  to  make  the  best  of  it  as  it  is.  I 
dare  say  he  is  expecting  me  to  try  and  understand 
him  and  his  man's  ideas.  I  have  no  intention 
of  doing  any  such  thing.  I  am  an  English- 
woman and  a  Christian,  and  he  can't  divorce  me 
because  I  won't  give  in  to  him.  My  ideas  are 
right  and  I  intend  that  they  shall  prevail.  Men 
are  a  very  bad  lot  and  it  is  wonderful  that  any 
of  us  care  to  marry  them.  We  generally  regret 
it,  I  am  sure.  The  very  least  they  can  do  is  to 
acknowledge  our  greater  spirituality  and  give 
way  to  us. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  271 

However,  it  is  done  now,  and  I  have  to  make 
the  best  of  it.  I  shall  do  that  by  being  always 
courteous  and  cool  to  him  and  keeping  up 
appearances.  If  he  likes  to  confess  his  wicked- 
ness, I  will  forgive  him,  but  otherwise  my 
womanly  dignity  will  bear  me  up. 

Oh  !  my  heart  feels  as  if  it  would  break. 

How  am  I  to  bear  the  rest  of  the  day  ?  I 
have  a  good  mind  to  go  and  lie  down. 

No,  that  would  look  as  if  I  were  afraid  of  him. 
I  am  not  afraid  of  him  at  all.  I  shall  just  go 
out  and  sit  in  the  verandah  and  read  a  book. 
There  are  a  lot  of  books  on  the  shelves  ;  I  will 
take  one,  it  doesn't  matter  which. 


IV 

I  was  talking  to  Po  Chon  when  Lesbia 
suddenly  came  out.  I  don't  know  how  she 
managed  it,  but  she  made  her  skirts  rustle  like 
a  lot  of  feathers  all  stuck  up.  She  was  very  slow 
and  deliberate  in  her  movements,  looked  at  the 
view,  remarked  casually,  to  the  surrounding 
atmosphere,  not  to  me,  that  the  raft  was  a  long 
way  from  land,  and  sat  down  in  her  chair.  Then 
she  opened  her  book  and  began  to  read.  I 
ventured  a  remark  that  we  were  approaching 
the  junction  with  another  great  river,  the 
Chindwin,  but  she  only  raised  her  eyebrows  and 


272  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

said  '  Indeed  ! '  in  a  very  distrait  tone.     She 
was  too  deeply  interested  in  her  book  to  talk. 

But  she  didn't  read  very  fast.  In  ten  minutes 
she  had  not  turned  over  a  page.  The  book  was 
evidently  very  absorbing  to  contain  so  much  in 
one  page,  and  so  I  got  up  on  some  pretence  and 
passed  behind  her  so  as  to  see  the  title.  It  was 
Sir  Oliver  Lodge  on  The  Theory  of  Electrons, 
a  book  I  had  wrestled  with  and  at  whose  hands 
I  had  suffered  defeat. 

'  Have  you  got  an  amusing  book  ? '  I  asked 
casually,  as  I  sat  down  again. 

'  Very,  thanks,'  hardly  looking  up. 

'  Merry  little  things,  electrons,  aren't  they  ! ' 
I  continued, '  and  Sir  Oliver  Lodge  writes  about 
them  with  a  gay  and  sprightly  humour.' 

She  started,  gave  a  glance  at  the  back  of  the 
book  to  see  the  title,  and  then  blushed  furiously. 
For  a  few  moments  she  held  her  ground,  then 
finding  the  position  untenable  she  got  up  stiffly. 
But  as  she  went  she  fired  a  parting  shot : 

'  I  have  always  been  very  interested^  electrons, ' 
she  said  with  choked  dignity,  and  disappeared. 


At  last  the  day  has  gone.  I  wonder  how 
many  hours  there  were  in  it — about  a  hundred 
I  should  say.  And  it 's  only  one  day.  What  a 
long,  long  thing  marriage  is. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  273 

I  have  come  to  bed  early,  but  although  I  am 
dead  tired  I  can't  sleep  yet — or  rather,  I  don't 
want  to. 

I  wonder  if  he  is  ever  going  to  bed  at  all.  I 
left  him  working  at  some  law  books.  What 
stupid  things  men  amuse  themselves  with. 

I  wish  he  would  come  to  bed.  Perhaps  he 
would  look  in  on  the  way. 

If  he  would  only  ask  me  to  forgive  him,  I 
am  quite  ready  to  forgive,  and  all  the  wrong  is 
on  his  side. 

Well,  I  can't  keep  awake  any  more.  It 's 
past  eleven  o'clock.  If  he  wants  to  be  forgiven, 
he  can  wake  me  up.  Even  then,  though  I  hate 
being  woke  up,  I  will  still  forgive  him.  I  will 
be  the  perfect  wife  whatever  he  may  be. 


CHAPTER   XIX 


'  Those  who  roam  to  find  the  God  that  dwells  within 
them  are  like  the  shepherd  who  seeks  for  the  sheep  he  has 
under  his  arm.'  Vemana. 


XIX 

>ND  so  we  drifted  on  day  after 
day.  As  we  passed  from 
north  to  south,  the  air  grew 
warmer  and  damper.  The 
freshness  and  the  brilliance  of 
the  atmosphere  in  the  upper 
country  were  going  fast,  it  was  more  languid 
and  more  tedious.  But  the  moral  atmosphere 
grew  colder  and  greyer.  It  was  a  perpetual 
English  December.  From  Lesbia  there  radi- 
ated all  the  day  a  cold  politeness  like  winter 
sunshine,  fictitious  and  without  warmth — and 
there  were  frosts  at  night. 

We  passed  slowly  down  past  many  places  I 
knew :  Sameikkon,  where  a  broker  lived,  who 
disappeared,  was  drowned,  was  buried,  and  rose 
again  ;  Myingyan,  where  the  famine  was  so 
bad  ;  Pakokku,  where  the  Chindwin,  a  great 
river  in  itself,  joins. 

I  knew  very  well  that  Lesbia  expected  me 
to  apologise.  She  thought  that  I  had  abused 
women,  or  rather  she  chose  to  think  so.  I 
had  hoped  that  when  her  first  anger  was 


278  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

passed  she  would  think  soberly  of  what  I  had 
said,  and  that  I  had  not  abused  women  at  all. 
I  had  said  that  they  would  make  very  bad 
men,  but  that  as  women  they  were  adorable. 
I  think  that  it  is  the  weakness,  physical  and 
mental,  of  women  that  appeals  to  us  as  our 
strength  does  to  them.  But  in  reality  women 
are  not  weak,  either  physically  or  mentally. 
We  each  have  our  own  strength  different  from 
that  of  the  other.  Thus  men  are  strong  mus- 
cularly  to  do  and  dare,  but  they  are  weak  to 
bear.  They  cannot  cheerfully  bear  pain  or 
discomfort  as  women  can.  We  revolt  and  try 
to  mend  matters,  sometimes  making  them 
worse  ;  women  submit  more  cheerfully  and 
bravely  to  the  inevitable. 

And  so  it  is  with  the  brain.  We  see  big  and 
far,  and  generalise.  They  see  small,  and  deal 
with  each  matter  on  its  merits,  without  refer- 
ence to  its  generalisations.  They  argue  falsely 
and  absurdly  when  they  try  to  generalise  ;  we 
often  do  the  same  in  individual  matters,  be- 
cause no  generalisation  will  exactly  fit  any 
occurrence. 

Therefore  men  cannot  make  a  home,  they  see 
too  big  ;  and  women  cannot  make  a  state,  they 
see  too  small.  That  is  why  nature,  which  is 
God,  unites  them  in  marriage,  so  that  one 
sight  complements  the  other  sight,  one  brain 
the  other  brain.  When  both  recognise  this, 
all  is  well.  The  difficulty  for  each  is  to  refrain 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  279 

from  trying  to  convert  or  tyrannise  over  the 
other.  I  often  catch  myself  unconsciously 
doing  so,  and  maybe  I  do  so  sometimes  and 
do  not  recognise  it.  We  each  want  victory. 
Really  the  trouble  with  Lesbia  was  not  what 
I  had  said  at  all,  but  that  she  had  made  a 
desperate  bid  for  victory  and  supremacy  in 
marriage.  I  suppose  at  one  time  or  another 
every  woman  does  this.  And  woe  to  the  man 
who  submits.  Quern  Deus  vult  perdere  prius 
in  potestatem  mulieris  qualiscumque  ponit. 

And  because  I  would  not  submit  to  it 
Lesbia  was  sulking  now.  I  suppose  that 
women  are  like  that ;  they  cannot  live  and  let 
live  as  men  do,  they  must  either  rule  or  obey. 
And  no  doubt  nature  knew  what  she  was  about 
when  she  made  women  like  that.  But  what 
was  to  be  the  end  I  could  not  see. 

She  was  very  industrious  at  some  needle- 
work, which  was,  I  believe,  to  be  a  waistcoat 
for  me,  and  which  she  worked  at  because  it 
showed  that  she  would  allow  nothing  to  affect 
her  duties  as  an  admirable  wife — at  a  distance. 
She  consulted  the  cook  and  Po  Chon  about 
the  housekeeping,  and  took  quite  an  interest 
in  the  oil-wells.  She  had  given  up  Sir  Oliver 
Lodge  and  his  electrons,  and  was  reading  in- 
stead a  book  of  Loti's,  not  I  think  that  she 
cared  for  it,  but  because  being  married  now 
she  had  a  right  to  read  anything  she  liked,  and 
she  wanted  to  demonstrate  her  liberty. 


280  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

In  fact  her  life  had  become  a  perpetual 
demonstration,  a  demonstration  hostile  to  me. 
And  the  overtures  I  made  were  received  with 
a  cold  east  wind  of  surprise  that  nipped  them 
in  their  tender  bud. 

It  would  have  been  laughable  if  it  hadn't 
been  so  serious  and  so  miserable.  I  couldn't 
help  but  smile  sometimes,  yet  when  I  did  she 
regarded  me  with  pathetic  horror,  much  as 
she  would  a  chief  mourner  who  laughed  at  a 
funeral.  She  herself  had  the  air  of  a  martyred 
saint  who  endures  with  heavenly  fortitude  the 
tortures  of  a  brutal  world. 

When  we  came  near  the  old  city  of  Pagan, 
I  asked  her  if  she  would  like  to  spend  the  day 
there. 

'  What  is  there  to  see  ? '  she  asked. 

I  said  that  there  were  the  remains  of  an  old 
capital  of  many  hundred  years  ago. 

'  Houses  and  palaces  ? '  she  asked. 

'  Mainly  pagodas,'  I  replied.  c  Palaces  were 
built  of  wood,  and  houses  of  bamboo  and 
thatch,  so  that  they  quickly  disappeared ;  the 
pagodas  were  built  of  brick  and  stone.' 

'  What  use  is  a  pagoda  ? '  she  asked. 

'  None.     They  are  just  waste.' 

'  Of  no  use  ?     Are  they  not  temples  ? ' 

'  No,'  I  said.  '  A  pagoda  is  a  reproduction 
in  more  or  less  fancy  style  of  Buddha's  tomb. 
They  put  them  up  to  his  memory.' 

'  A  gruesome  way  of  remembering,'  she  said. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  281 

'  Not  worse,'  I  said,  '  than  a  crucifix  or 
cross.' 

c  Mors  janua  vitae,'  she  repeated. 

'  True,'  I  replied,  '  but  it  is  the  life  we 
should  cultivate  and  remember,  not  the  death.' 

She  sighed. 

'  Well,'  I  said,  c  shall  we  spend  a  day  at 
Pagan  ? ' 

'  It  is  as  you  like,'  answered  the  '  perfect 
wife.* 

'  No,'  I  said,  '  that  won't  do.  If  you  don't 
want  to  stop,  say  so.  I  have  been  to  Pagan 
many  times.  I  don't  care  to  go  again  unless 
it  would  give  you  pleasure.  If  it  would  do  so, 
it  will  give  me  pleasure  too,  if  not,  then  not.' 

This  annoyed  her.  Her  cue  was  to  be  sub- 
missive in  appearance,  to  accept  everything,  to 
express  no  opinions  or  wishes,  an  attitude 
which  had  the  advantage  that  it  left  her  free 
to  criticise  everything,  to  make  the  worst  of 
everything,  and  then  to  silently  throw  the 
blame  on  me  for  every  failure. 

I  was  either  to  acknowledge  now  and  for 
the  future  that  I  was  a  reprobate,  that  man- 
kind was  in  essence  bad  and  in  every  way  in- 
ferior to  women,  or  she  would  make  my 
married  life  a  misery.  She  knew  and  felt  her 
power,  that  in  the  home  the  woman  is  omni- 
potent and  the  man  cannot  fight  against  her, 
her  own  instincts  forbid  him  and  disable  him, 
and  Lesbia  intended  to  misuse  that  power. 


282  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

Women  are  like  that  always,  I  suppose,  at  first. 
They  are  taught  nothing  ;  great  power  comes 
into  their  hands  on  marriage,  and  how  should 
they  use  it  rightly  ?  It  is  not  in  human 
nature  that  they  should.  She  saw  very  well 
how  unhappy  she  made  me,  and  she  secretly 
gloried  in  it,  because  it  was  evidence  of  her 
power,  and  she  could  always  comfort  herself 
by  thinking  that  I  alone  was  to  blame.  Even 
her  own  suffering  pleased  her.  In  many 
women  there  is  a  delight  in  being  a  martyr. 
Their  very  suffering  sanctifies  the  cause.  The 
more  they  suffer  the  better  their  cause  must 
be.  So  do  they  reason. 

Well,  well,  I  could  only  wait  and  hope  and 
do  my  best. 

c  Do  you  wish  to  stop  or  not  ? '  I  asked. 

'  We  had  always  arranged  to  stop,'  she 
answered,  attempting  now  to  throw  the  onus 
on  a  previous  plan. 

'  No  doubt.     But  we  can  alter  that.' 

So  that  did  not  do.  She  must  find  some- 
thing or  some  one  else  to  bear  the  weight. 

'  If  we  don't  go,'  she  said,  '  people  will 
wonder.  Pagan  is  a  famous  place.' 

'  What  does  it  matter  ? '  I  answered.  '  We 
can't  regulate  our  lives  by  the  wonder  of  other 
people,  but  by  what  we  want  or  don't  want.' 

Her  temper  was  visibly  rising.  She  had 
determined  never  to  express  a  wish  or  an 
opinion  again,  but  to  suffer  all  things  c  gladly,' 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  283 

and  to  be  driven  from  this  intrenchment  and 
made  to  express  a  wish  would  mean  defeat. 

'  I  really  don't  mind,'  she  said  defiantly. 

'  All  right.  That  means  you  'd  sooner  go 
on.  I  '11  tell  the  raftsmen.' 

But  I  had  only  just  risen  to  go  when  Lesbia 
said  : 

'  I  think  that  Po  Chon  wants  to  stop.' 

'  What  for  ? '  I  asked. 

'There  are  no  fowls,  nor  eggs,  nor  fish,' 
she  said. 

How  ingenious  Lesbia  was.  She  was  long- 
ing to  see  Pagan,  of  which  she  had  heard  so 
much,  but  she  would  sooner  die  than  depart 
from  her  determined  attitude  of  passive  meek- 
ness. She  would  not  express  a  desire  or  take 
any  responsibility.  So  it  had  to  be  put  on  Po 
Chon. 

'  Very  well,'  I  said,  '  to  gratify  Po  Chon  we 
will  stop  the  day  at  Pagan.' 

We  did,  and  had  a  pleasant  time.  The 
modern  village  on  the  river  is  some  way  from 
the  ancient  city,  which  lies  on  a  barren  plain. 
The  seasons  must  have  greatly  altered  since 
this  city  flourished,  for  now  there  is  no  drink- 
ing-water even  for  a  village  there.  Indeed 
all  over  upper  Burma  there  are  many  signs 
of  this  change.  The  rainfall  now  of  Pagan  is 
only  twelve  inches  yearly,  falling  in  a  few 
heavy  showers  ;  there  must  have  been  thirty 
or  forty  inches  then  at  least. 


284  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

We  drove  out  to  the  old  city  in  a  cart 
drawn  by  trotting  bullocks,  and  saw  all  the 
chief  pagodas.  Lesbia  ran  about,  and  in  the 
excitement  and  pleasure  forgot  her  grievances. 
Her  sunny  nature  burst  out  from  beneath  the 
clouds  in  which  she  had  enveloped  it. 

'  Look  at  the  carved  figures,'  she  cried. 
'  What  is  it  all  ?  What  are  those  various 
scenes  one  after  another  on  these  tablets  ? ' 

'  Scenes  in  the  life  of  Gautama,'  I  said. 

'Tell  me  the  story.' 

I  told  her,  following  the  carved  scenes 
round  the  great  pagoda. 

'  Here  he  is  a  prince,'  I  said,  c  and  here  he 
is  married  to  Yathodaya,  and  here  he  becomes 
aware  that  death  is  in  the  world  and  will  some 
day  take  the  prince  himself,  and  he  is  afraid.' 

Lesbia  looked  serious. 

'  Here  he  is  leaving  his  palace  and  his  wife, 
renouncing  all  things  in  the  search.' 

'  It  was  not  right  to  leave  his  wife,'  cried 
Lesbia. 

'  No,'  I  said,  '  but  such  are  religions.' 

'  What  did  he  find  ? '  she  asked. 

'  He  found  an  answer  to  a  negative  in  a 
greater  negative,  to  death  in  Death.' 

'That  is  no  answer.' 

'No,'  I  said,  'but  it  is  all  religions  have.' 

So  we  went  on  and  saw  the  whole  of  his 
life  and  of  his  teaching.  Doka  aneitsa,  anatta 
sums  it  all. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  285 

On  the  way  back  Lesbia  began  to  recover 
herself,  or  rather  to  conceal  herself  again. 
Her  laughter  died,  she  became  stiff  and 
cold. 

And  once  on  board  the  raft  again  the  clouds 
returned  even  worse  than  ever.  I  was  not  to 
suppose  because  she  ran  about  and  enjoyed  her- 
self at  Pagan  that  I  was  forgiven.  Her  very 
enjoyment  was  simply  to  please  me.  She 
would  never  forgive  me,  never,  unless  I  begged 
for  it.  Then  as  a  good  wife  she  would  pardon 
but  not  forget  to  put  on  clothes  of  superiority 
as  permanent  attire.  Meanwhile  she  had 
relapsed  into  the  'patient  Grizel.' 

We  were  just  in  time  for  tea,  and  she  was 
most  solicitous  that  the  tea  should  be  made 
exactly  as  I  like  it — I  am  rather  particular  as 
to  my  tea — and  that  everything  should  be  per- 
fect. She  discussed  with  me  the  antiquities  of 
Pagan  with  an  interest  feigned  to  please  me, 
and  very  openly  feigned.  I  was  to  be  tamed 
and  subdued  by  kindness  and  attention  like  Bai. 
Only  that  Bai  had  refused  to  be  tamed  and  had 
escaped  that  morning, '  horrid,  ungrateful  bird,' 
preferring  death  to  slavery. 

After  tea  a  lacquer-worker  came  on  board. 

'  Would  you  like  to  see  some  lacquer  ? '  I 
asked  Lesbia. 

She  was  interested  in  the  work,  and  indeed 
it  is  curious. 

The  ordinary  lacquer-bowls  and  boxes  are 


286  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

made  on  a  foundation  of  plaited  bamboo,  but 
the  finest  have  a  frame  of  horsehair. 

The  colours  are  red  and  green  and  black 
and  the  designs  are  beautiful.  When  she  had 
admired,  I  said  : 

'  Which  would  you  like  ? ' 

Her  interest  changed  into  indifference. 

'  I  don't  think  I  want  any,'  she  said.  '  I 
can't  afford  it.' 

'  But  I  will  give  it  you,'  I  answered. 

'  Thank  you/  she  said,  c  but  I  do  not 
think  it  would  be  useful  for  any  purpose. 
Some  other  time,  perhaps.' 

c  We  shan't  be  at  Pagan  some  other  time,'  I 
objected.  '  How  would  you  like  this  box  ? 
It  would  do  to  put  collars  in.' 

'  I  have  a  collar-box,  thanks  all  the  same,' she 
said  with  perfect  courtesy,  *  and  my  dressing- 
case  is  rather  too  full  for  another.' 

So  !  She  would  not  accept  a  present  from 
me  ;  but  I  only  laughed. 

c  Very  well,'  I  said,  '  I  will  buy  it  for  my 
own  collars.' 

Then  the  raft  was  unmoored  and  we  went 
on  again  for  a  couple  of  hours  before  the 
dark.  At  dinner  she  asked  if  it  was  very 
long  before  we  would  come  to  another  station. 
She  inferred  that  she  was  dull,  but  did  not 
say  so.  And  after  dinner  she  wrote  letters 
home  with  ostentation.  '  At  least,'  her  atti- 
tude declared,  '  I  have  some  friends  who  are 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  287 

reasonable  people,  and  marriage  is  not  every- 
thing to  me.' 

At  night  there  was  a  frost. 

So  we  went  on  with  a  golden  sun  outside 
and  a  moral  fog  within.  We  passed  the  der- 
ricks on  the  hills  where  they  bore  for  oil.  It 
seems  that  whereas  water-wells  are  in  valleys, 
oil-wells  prefer  the  crests  of  hills.  We  passed 
the  mud  volcanoes  of  Minbu. 

I  don't  know  how  many  days  we  took  ;  it 
seemed  a  young  eternity  passed  in  an  arctic 
region  of  perpetual  frost  and  snow. 

It  may  really  have  been  three  days. 

And  there  seemed  every  day  less  and  less 
chance  of  any  change.  Her  attitude  instead 
of  altering  for  the  better  grew  worse.  That 
she  was  suffering  I  could  see  quite  well,  but 
that  did  not  soften  her.  Indeed  it  hardened 
her,  for  at  every  pang  she  said  to  herself,  c  His 
fault,  his  fault,'  and  visited  on  me  her  great 
unhappiness.  We  grew  farther  and  farther 
apart  each  hour,  each  day,  each  night.  She 
had  persuaded  herself  that  she  was  utterly  in 
the  right. 

My  heart  fell  lower  and  lower.  I  had  often 
wondered  before,  when  I  saw  husband  and  wife 
drifting  apart — as  I  have  seen  so  often — how 
in  the  intimacy  of  marriage  it  could  happen. 
I  saw  now  that  it  was  that  very  intimacy  that 
caused  it,  because  my  constant  presence  was  a 
constant  irritation  to  her,  so  that  she  never  had 


288  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

time  to  think  or  reason  calmly  about  the  cause. 
A  sore  had  been  established  and  my  presence, 
no  matter  what  I  did,  rubbed  the  sore  and 
kept  it  open  day  and  night.  And  now  I 
understood  how  marriages  can  become  what 
they  so  often  are,  a  misery.  Our  only  chance 
seemed  a  separation  and  to  begin  afresh.  But 
that  could  not  be  done. 

When  we  passed  the  fort  of  Minhla,  where 
the  old  frontier  was  and  where  the  first  fight 
of  the  war  occurred  in  1885,  the  outside  weather 
began  to  change.  A  heavy  bank  of  clouds 
came  down  from  the  north-east,  and  I  saw 
that  we  were  in  for  one  of  those  rare  winter 
rains,  which  are  heavy  and  are  cold  and  uncom- 
fortable in  proportion  to  their  unseasonable- 
ness.  Therefore,  instead  of  stopping  as  usual 
just  before  sunset,  I  thought  it  better  to  try  and 
make  Thayetmyo  that  night,  so  that  if  the  rain 
became  heavy  and  long  we  should  have  the 
comfort  and  society  of  a  station. 

We  drifted  on  and  on  down  the  leaden  sur- 
face of  the  river.  In  the  west  an  angry  light 
behind  the  clouds  was  all  we  could  see  of  the 
sunset.  Then  a  fitful  wind  began  to  blow,  and 
almost  without  warning  the  rain-storm  swooped 
on  us  from  the  left  bank. 

It  shut  us  in  within  a  small  grey  circle  of 
fast  waning  twilight.  We  could  not  see  the 
banks  nor  even  fifty  yards  ahead.  We  seemed 
alone  out  on  an  illimitable  water-plain.  Now 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  289 

that  we  could  not  see  the  banks  we  seemed 
quite  stationary,  yet  we  drifted  we  knew  not 
where. 

And  the  roar  of  the  rain  beating  upon  the 
river  filled  our  ears. 

Then  suddenly  there  came  another  sound, 
the  rhythmic  beat  of  paddles.  It  was  a  steamer 
coming  up.  Soon  we  could  see  the  flare  of 
searchlights  that  she  had  opened  to  seek  her 
way  with  through  the  drift  and  dark.  She  was 
coming  round  the  bend.  And  a  moment  later 
she  was  upon  us.  She  loomed  up  out  of  the 
rain  and  gloom  like  a  dark  moving  mass  with 
a  brilliant  eye  in  front.  The  eye  fell  upon  us. 

I  leapt  to  the  oars  in  the  bow  to  try  and 
pull  the  raft  away  towards  the  bank,  and 
the  crew  came  rushing  forward  to  join  me. 
We  pulled  for  all  we  were  worth.  We 
heard  the  steamer  give  a  frightened  hoot  from 
her  siren,  her  engines  stopped.  But  it  was  no 
use.  I  saw  she  was  running  us  down.  Then 
I  jumped  up  to  go  to  Lesbia,  slipped  on  the 
round,  wet  logs,  and  heard  a  crash  as  the  steamer 
struck  the  raft.  The  logs  divided  and  threw 
me  into  the  water,  and  by  some  instinct  I  dived 
down.  I  went  down  and  yet  down  to  escape 
her  paddles  till  I  could  dive  no  more,  and  then 
I  rose.  It  seemed  an  age  before  I  reached  the 
surface. 

When  I  came  up,  I  found  myself  alone. 
All  round  me  was  grey  water  and  above  the 

T 


290  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

night  was  shutting  down.  Through  the  rain 
and  mist  I  could  see  the  glare  of  the  steamer's 
light  apparently  far  off.  I  thought  of  Lesbia — 
where  was  she — how  could  I  help  her — save  her ; 
of  Po  Chon,  Po  Ka,  the  crew.  All  had  dis- 
appeared. I  called  and  called,  but  there  was  no 
answer.  I  could  not  swim  towards  her,  for  in 
all  this  waste  of  water  I  did  not  know  where 
she  was.  Neither  could  I  swim  to  land,  for 
I  did  not  know  where  in  the  darkness  the  land 
lay.  I  could  only  keep  afloat.  And  at  last  I 
found  two  logs  still  fastened  together  and  climbed 
up  on  them.  They  made  but  an  uneasy  seat, 
and  of  course  my  legs  were  in  the  water  ;  but 
it  was  better  than  swimming. 

And  so  I  went  drifting  down  the  river.  I 
grew  colder  and  became  quite  numb.  There 
seemed  no  help  for  me.  Well,  if  Lesbia  were 
drowned,  what  did  it  matter  if  I  drowned  too. 
And  if  Lesbia  were  about  to  become  a  second 
Mrs.  Tournon,  why  should  I  care  to  escape  ? 

I  did  not  care.     Let  what  would  come,  come. 


CHAPTER   XX 


*  You  may  get  oil  by  pressing  sand ;  you  may  find  water 
in  the  mirage;  you  may  find  a  horn  upon  a  hare;  but 
nothing  this  side  of  death  will  win  over  the  mind  of  a 
stubborn  woman.'  BHARTEE  HARI. 


XX 


H  how  miserable  the  last  few 
days  have  been.  He  does  not 
show  the  least  repentance  yet 
for  being  a  man.  Yet  I  should 
have  thought  all  men  would 
have  recognised  how  bad  they 
were  and  been  ready  to  admit  it.  I  would  if 
I  were  a  man.  I  would  have  adored  and 
admired  and  imitated  women.  He,  on  the 
contrary,  despises  us.  I  said  to  him  just  now, 
'  I  don't  see  why  you  should  think  women 
are  inferior  to  men  in  intellect.  Look  at  the 
famous  women  there  have  been.'  And  I 
mentioned  to  him  names  of  women  notable  in 
literature  and  art  and  science  and  medicine. 
I  have  seen  these  names  in  the  papers.  He 
ought  to  have  at  once  seen  how  wrong  he 
was  and  given  in,  but  he  didn't.  What  he 
said  was  :  '  There  are  exceptions  to  every 
rule.  The  very  scarcity  of  the  exceptions 
proves  how  general  the  rule  is  on  the  other 
side.'  '  Oh,'  I  answered,  '  but  that  is  only 
because  we  women  have  no  chance.  Men 


294  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

won't  allow  us  any  because  they  are  jealous 
we  might  best  them.'  And  again  he  only 
laughed.  That  is  his  invariable  answer  when 
he  is  beaten  in  argument.  He  laughs. 

*  Those  women  you  mention,'  he  went  on, 
c  are  as  much  representative  of  the  brain  of 
your  sex  as  the  bearded  women  are  of  its 
appearance  fortunately.  Were  they  the  rule 
instead  of  the  exception  the  world  would  soon 
come  to  an  end.  Man  doesn't  marry  his  rival 
but  his  complement.' 

'  Well,'  I  answered,  '  when  we  are  properly 
free  and  educated  we  shall  be  happier  thus 
and  won't  want  to  marry.' 

'  Neither  would  men,'  he  answered,  '  but 
nature  has  decreed  otherwise.  She  wants 
babies,  you  see.' 

That  is  the  way  he  talks  now.  He  is 
dreadfully  downright  and  rude,  and  it  is  no 
use  appealing  to  his  reason,  because  he  hasn't 
any.  He  is  all  made  up  of  prejudices.  He 
won't  allow  women  any  good  qualities.  He 
can't  see  that,  except  physical  strength,  women 
have  all  the  good  qualities  and  men  have  none. 
If  they  succeed  better  than  women,  it  is  because 
in  a  bad  world  bad  qualities  are  most  useful. 
They  are  suited  to  a  bad  world,  but  we  are 
too  good  for  this  world  and  won't  be  really 
appreciated  till  we  get  to  heaven. 

'  I  wonder  why  you  married  a  woman  at 
all  ? '  I  ask  him  presently. 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  295 

He  looks  at  me  and  smiles,  and  says  at  last : 
c  I  married  for  the  same  reason  that  men  have 
married  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.' 

'  And  what  is  that  ? '  I  ask  stiffly. 

'  There  is  a  legend  that  tells  it  better  than 
I  can,'  he  answers. 

4  Then  tell  me  the  legend,'  I  say. 

But  he  won't.  He  shakes  his  head.  '  We 
are  not  in  the  humour  for  legends,'  he  declares. 

Later  on  I  said  to  him  :  '  Men  have  always 
taken  advantage  of  women  wherever  they 
could.  Look  at  the  marriage  laws.' 

c  What  is  the  matter  with  them  ? '  he  asks. 

*  How  unjust  they  are  to  us.' 

c  Oh  ! '  he  answers,  '  they  are  even  worse 
for  us.  All  over  the  world,  except  in  Burma, 
marriage  laws  have  been  made  by  priests  who 
do  not  know  anything  about  humanity.  And 
the  principal  supporters  of  priests  are  always 
women.  In  Burma  the  laws  are  the  outcome 
of  custom,  and  so  though  crude  are  reasonable 
and  just.' 

c  I  never  heard  men  complain  of  the  marriage 
laws  before,'  I  say,  astonished  at  his  attitude. 

4  Possibly  not.  We  don't  make  such  a  fuss 
about  it  as  you  do.  But  the  marriage  laws  of 
civilised  states  are  in  many  ways  cruelly  unjust 
to  men.' 

'  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing  before,'  I 
say.  c  In  what  way  ? ' 

'  In  a  hundred  ways.     A  wife  may,  for  in- 


296  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

stance,  refuse  to  be  a  wife  to  a  man  and  he 
has  no  redress.  He  can't  separate  or  divorce 
her.  If  he  seek  elsewhere  the  necessity  that 
she  denies  him,  she  can  divorce  him  or  separate 
from  him,  and,  in  any  case,  get  the  children 
all  for  herself.' 

'  Men  don't  care  for  children,'  I  say. 

'  Fathers  are  as  fond  of  their  children,  and 
as  necessary  to  their  children  as  mothers,'  he 
retorts,  '  but  the  law  doesn't  see  this.' 

I  know  he  is  all  wrong,  but  it  is  no  good 
talking  to  him.  Then  he  goes  off  to  the 
bows  and  begins  fishing  over  the  side,  catching 
horrible-looking  creatures  that  I  won't  allow 
to  be  cooked  for  our  meals.  However,  he  is 
quite  happy.  He  finds  plenty  to  do.  He  talks 
to  the  dogs  and  to  Po  Chon  and  Po  Ka,  and 
takes  little  trips  in  the  Deebo  to  try  her  new 
keel,  and  reads  stodgy-looking  law-books — 
and  whistles.  That  shows  how  callous  he  is 
— he  whistles.  He  doesn't  care  at  all  that 
marriage  is  a  failure.  No  doubt  he  expected 
it  would  be. 

And  he  hasn't  been  taken  out  of  his  old  life 
as  I  have  been  out  of  mine.  He  has  all  his 
old  resources.  I  have  none  except  to  write  to 
friends,  which  I  do  every  evening.  Of  course, 
I  don't  tell  them  what  a  failure  marriage  is, 
because  I  would  never  admit  that  to  any  one. 
A  good  wife  covers  up  her  husband's  defects. 

And  I  am  doing  my  best  to  be  a  good  wife 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  297 

to  him.  I  subordinate  myself  to  him  in  every- 
thing. I  will  not  obtrude  myself  but  only 
obey.  That  is  what  men  want.  He  wanted  to 
land  and  see  Pagan,  for  instance,  but  he  didn't 
want  to  say  so.  He  pretended  that  the  only 
reason  he  had  for  going  was  if  it  would 
please  me. 

*  Do  you  want  to  go  to  Pagan  ? '  he  asked. 

I  said  I  didn't  mind.  That  made  him 
furious,  because  he  didn't  want  to  say  he 
wished  to  go.  So  I  had  to  find  an  excuse  for 
him.  I  said  Po  Chon  wanted  to  stop. 

When  we  came  back,  he  wanted  to  buy  me 
some  lacquer-work — as  a  bribe,  of  course. 
Men  think  that  women  can  be  either  bribed 
or  browbeaten  into  surrendering  their  dearest 
opinions.  But  I  wouldn't  take  it,  because  I 
don't  want  to  cause  him  unnecessary  expense. 
And  he  wasn't  even  grateful. 

Oh  dear,  oh  dear  !  I  have  to  go  to  my  bed- 
room every  now  and  then  to  cry. 

But  I  wouldn't  let  him  know  I  cried  for 
anything. 

He  would  think  he  was  winning. 

He  shan't. 

The  weather  is  changing  too.  This  after- 
noon it  began  clouding  up  very  fast  and  a  cold 
wind  is  blowing.  So  I  go  into  the  salon.  He 
stays  outside,  of  course.  He  is  happier  away 
from  me. 

Never  mind,  I  will  work  at  his  waistcoat, 


298  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

returning  good  for  evil.     I  only  hope  it  won't 
burn  him  when  he  wears  it. 

How  the  rain  pours.  He  ought  to  come 
in.  But  if  I  went  to  tell  him  he  would  say 
he  wasn't  a  baby  to  be  looked  after  like  that. 
Or  rather,  he  would  not  say  it,  only  think  it, 
which  is  worse.  I  am  beginning  to  know 
men  now.  If  I  had  known  beforehand  what 
men  were  like !  Why  aren't  girls  told  ?  The 
lies  of  books.  '  They  lived  happy  ever  after- 
wards.' Some  day  I  will  write  a  book. 

There  is  a  steamer  coming  up.  I  hear  the 
paddles.  It  is  very  dark.  I  can  hardly  see 
to  sew. 

What  is  that  awful  shriek  ?  And  that 
ghastly  light  ?  I  jump  up,  my  heart  beating 
like  mad.  It  is  the  steamer's  siren.  And  the 
light  is  her  searchlight.  She  is  close  upon  us. 
I  am  so  terrified  I  cannot  move.  Where  is 
he  ?  What  is  he  doing  ?  Will  he  leave  me 
to  be  drowned  all  alone  ? 

Then  I  give  a  scream,  for  a  hand  has  caught 
hold  of  my  arm  from  behind.  It  is  Po  Chon. 
He  looks  frightened  to  death  and  pulls  at  me 
hard.  '  La  ba,'  he  growls.  I  know  that  means 
c  Come.' 

Life  suddenly  comes  back  to  my  limbs, 
and  I  tear  out  after  him  the  back  way  to 
where  the  Deebo  is  moored  behind  the  bed- 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  299 

room.  We  both  jump  in  and  he  unties  the 
rope  in  a  great  hurry.  Then  I  become  aware 
of  the  great  black  steamer  coming  out  of  the 
rain  right  on  to  us.  Po  Chon  gives  the  boat 
a  push  which  shoots  it  away.  The  steamer 
strikes  the  raft  forward  of  the  salon.  I  see 
the  logs  crumpling  up.  A  great  wave  breaks 
over  the  raft  and  nearly  capsizes  us.  There 
are  shouts  and  screams.  We  are  all  going  to 
be  drowned,  and  where  is  he  ?  Won't  he 
even  come  and  be  drowned  with  me  ?  I  call 
out  for  him,  but  he  does  not  answer.  Then  I 
grow  giddy  and  faint  and  I  fall  down  into  the 
bottom  of  the  boat. 

First  I  feel  something  hurting  me  as  I  lie, 
then  I  feel  very  wet  and  cold,  then  I  wonder 
where  I  am  and  I  open  my  eyes. 

I  am  half  lying  in  the  boat,  in  the  bows  is 
Po  Chon,  and  there  is  nothing  else  but  mist 
and  water. 

There  is  no  raft,  no  steamer,  no  land,  nothing 
at  all  but  darkness  and  despair.  My  husband 
must  be  drowned  and  everybody  else  too,  and 
I  don't  want  to  go  on  living  any  more. 

There  is  nothing  to  do  but  cry. 


CHAPTER   XXI 


'  New  dawn  is  born  out  of  the  night  alone.' 

Greek  Legend. 
'  Mors  janua  vitae.' 


XXI 

T  the  end  of  the  raft  there  was 
confusion.  The  boatman  had 
gone  to  the  bows  to  row. 
Po  Chon  had  disappeared ;  the 
cook  was  saying,  '  Swamy, 
Swamy,  Swamy ! '  and  wring- 
ing his  hands,  and  Ma  Mie  had  caught  hold 
of  her  husband  and  clung  to  him  as  to  a  life- 
belt. Waves  surged  over  the  raft  and  nearly 
washed  them  away.  Then  in  a  few  minutes 
the  end  of  the  raft  drifted  free  again,  and  went 
on  down  the  river. 

Po  Ka  put  down  his  wife's  arms  from  his  neck 
and  said  soothingly :  '  There,  there,  all  danger 
is  over  now.  See,  the  steamer  has  gone  away.' 
Ma  Mie  looked  round  at  the  mist  and  rain 
that  enveloped  them  and  at  the  steamer  that 
had  backed  herself  free  at  last  and  almost 
disappeared. 

'  Oh  ! '  she  said  with  a  sob,  c  I  thought  we 
should  all  be  drowned.' 

'  No,  no,'  said  Po  Ka,  c  everything  is  all  right 
and  quite  safe  now.' 


3o4  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  But  you  aren't  going  away  ?  '  she  asked. 

'  Yes,  I  must  go  up  and  see  what  has  happened 
to  the  front  part  of  the  raft  and  the  Thakin 
and  Po  Chon,'  he  answered. 

'  Nothing  has  happened  to  them,'  she 
asserted,  unwilling  to  let  him  go. 

'Well,  I  will  go  and  see,'  he  answered.  'Go 
inside  now  and  sit  down  till  I  come  back.' 

Very  reluctantly  she  did  as  she  was  told,  and 
Po  Ka  went  forward.  The  kitchen  was  all 
right,  twisted  a  little,  but  not  damaged,  and  Po 
Ka  went  on  to  the  bedroom  joint.  Neither 
was  there  much  amiss  here.  The  flooring  had 
gone  a  little  awry  and  the  bedroom  wall  had 
acquired  a  slant,  but  nothing  was  damaged. 

When  he  came  to  the  salon  joint,  it  was 
different.  It  had  been  nearly  wrecked  by  the 
paddle-box.  Some  of  the  logs  had  gone,  others 
were  twisted  this  way  and  that,  with  big  spaces 
between,  and  the  salon  itself  was  ruined.  One 
wall  had  given  way  and  the  roof  had  fallen  in. 
Beyond  that  there  was  nothing.  The  two 
forward  joints  had  gone,  leaving  but  a  few 
ragged  ends  of  ropes  trailing  in  the  water. 

Po  Ka  looked,  and  his  heart  sank.  Where 
were  his  brother,  his  master,  his  mistress  ? 
There  was  no  sign  of  them  at  all.  Even  the 
cook,  who  was  in  the  kitchen,  had  seen  nothing 
of  them. 

'They  must  be  drowned,'  said  the  head 
raftsman,  who  had  come  up  with  him. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  305 

*  No,  no,*  said  Po  Ka,  shaking  his  head. 

4  Then  where  are  they  ?'  asked  the  raftsman. 

'Perhaps  they  climbed  on  the  steamer,  per- 
haps they  are  drifting  down  the  river  on  logs,' 
said  Po  Ka. 

'They  are  drowned,'  repeated  the  raftsman. 

'They  are  not,'  declared  Po  Ka  angrily. 

'  Well,  what  are  we  to  do  ? '  asked  the  man. 

Po  Ka  looked  out  at  the  dim  grey  river  and 
the  mist  and  rain.  The  steamer  was  gone. 
No  doubt  her  captain  thought  the  raft  only 
an  ordinary  timber  raft  and  that  no  one  would 
be  hurt,  so  he  steamed  on  up  the  river.  There 
was  nothing  now  in  sight. 

'  We  must  get  to  shore  as  soon  as  possible,' 
said  Po  Ka. 

But  that  was  not  so  easy.  The  steamer 
when  entangled  with  the  raft  had  dragged  her 
out  into  the  middle  of  the  river.  There  was 
no  bank  in  sight,  and  with  only  the  stern  oars 
available  it  would  be  hard  to  get  her  in. 

They  did  their  best,  but  the  night  had  come 
before  they  had  moored  below  a  village  on  the 
farther  bank. 

Then  Po  Ka  landed  to  tell  the  headman  to 
send  a  messenger  to  the  nearest  police  station. 
Thence  it  was  telegraphed  to  Thayetmyo. 
Before  ten  all  the  station  knew  that  Gallic 
and  his  wife  were  lost,  were  drowned  perhaps 
already,  or  were  drifting  down  the  river  no  one 
knew  where. 

u 


306  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

Yet  till  the  morning  nothing  could  be  done. 
No  help  could  be  given.  The  Laughing 
Cavalier  with  two  others  went  down  to  the 
steps  where  the  launches  lay  and  gazed  across 
the  water.  It  flowed  down  silently,  holding 
its  secret  as  it  has  held  so  many.  In  the  dark 
night  the  waters  seemed  illimitable,  an  emblem 
of  that  life  that  comes  we  know  not  whence 
and  passes  always  to  the  sea.  It  was  a  Laugh- 
ing Cavalier  no  more,  but  a  very  sad  and 
silent  man  who  stood  beside  the  river.  Birth, 
marriage,  and  death,  sorrow  and  pleasure,  hope 
and  fear,  and  peace  and  war,  all  yesterdays, 
to-day,  and  all  to-morrows,  they  are  one. 

He  turned  to  the  others.  '  At  dawn,  I  will 
be  off  to  look  for  them.' 

'  We  also,'  was  the  answer. 


CHAPTER   XXII 


'Faire  naitre  un  desir,  le  nourrir,  le  developper,  le  grandir, 
1'irriter,  le  satisfaire,  c'est  un  poeme  tout  entier.' 

BALZAC. 


;EJABERS,'  says  I  to  myself 
as  I  stopped  at  the  gate  and 
looked  in,  '  it 's  wrong  we 
were  to  be  anxious  about  you 
at  all,  at  all.  Just  look  at  the 
spalpeens,  then  !  ' 
And  indadethey  seemed  comfortable  enough. 
There  was  a  big  tamarind-tree  before  the 
headman's  house,  and  under  it  was  a  chibutra 
of  bamboo.  And  there,  reclining  quite  at  their 
ease  on  coloured  rugs,  were  the  Gallios  we  were 
all  bemoaning  as  drowned.  Both  of  them  were 
dressed  in  Burmese  clothes  a  little  too  small 
for  them  ;  both  had  bare  feet  and  legs,  and  Mrs. 
Gallio's  hair  was  all  down  her  back.  But  they 
didn't  seem  to  mind  about  that  and  were  col- 
loguing together  as  thick  as  thieves  and  laughing 
all  the  time.  Twolittle  naked  Burmese  children 
were  regarding  them  with  awe  and  admiration 
from  a  distance,  and  in  a  corner  of  the  compound 
I  could  see  Po  Chon  busy  in  an  improvised 
kitchen.  The  clear  morning  sunshine  broke 
and  flickered  through  the  leaves  overhead  and 


310  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

a  great  purple  creeper  made  a  background  like 
a  royal  curtain. 

'  And  there 's  a  hundred  miles  of  river  search- 
ing for  you  and  bewailing  you,'  thinks  I  to 
myself.  But  we  did  ought  to  have  known 
better  about  Gallic  at  all  events. 

Just  then  Mrs.  Gallic  got  up  and,  putting 
her  feet  into  a  pair  of  Burmese  sandals,  started 
limpingofftoPoChon'skitchen,andI  walkedin. 

*  Hallo/  says  I  to  Gallic. 

'  Hallo,' says  he, staring  at  me.  '  I  'm  blessed 
if  it  isn't  Franz  again.  Look  here,  Franz. 
Can't  a  fellow  get  ship  wrecked  any  where  with- 
out you  turning  up  immediately  after  ? '  And 
he  laughed.  '  Not  but  what  I  'm  glad  to  see 
you,  old  fellow,'  he  continued,  making  room 
on  the  chibutra.  '  Come  and  sit  down  and 
for  humanity's  sake  give  me  a  decent  cigar. 
It 's  nearly  dead  I  am,  smoking  these  white 
Burmese  cigars  and  trying  to  get  a  taste  out 
of  them.' 

'  Gallic,'  says  I  reprovingly,  '  d'  you  know 
that  thousands  of  square  miles  of  country  are 
deploring  your  loss  and  looking  for  you  ? ' 

4  No,'  says  he,  lighting  the  cigar  ;  '  how  did 
all  thesesquare  miles  know  any  thing  about  me  ?' 

'  Why,'  says  I, '  when  Po  Ka  got  ashore  after 
dark  he  sent  news  to  the  nearest  police  station, 
and  they  telegraphed  far  and  wide  that  you 
and  Mrs.  Gallic  and  Po  Chon  were  drowned. 
The  news  reached  me  at  Thayetmyo  about 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  311 

ten  o'clock,  and  at  dawn  three  launches  started 
to  find  you.' 

'  Are  you  one  ? '  he  asks.  *  How  did  you 
know  we  were  here  ?  ' 

'  I  am,'  says  I.  '  As  I  came  along  I  saw 
the  Deebo  rocking  there  below,  so  I  landed 
to  inquire.  What  do  you  mean  by  it,  anyhow  ? 
And  how  did  you  get  here  ?  Why  aren't  you 
drowned  ? ' 

'  I  don't  know,'  says  he.  '  I  just  went  drift- 
ing down  on  a  log  till  the  rain  cleared  off  and 
I  could  see.  Then  I  got  ashore  at  a  village 
below  here.  Early  this  morning  they  brought 
me  news  that  the  raft  was  all  right  on  the 
other  bank  and  that  my  wife  and  Po  Chon 
had  landed  here  out  of  a  boat,  so  I  came  up 
and  found  them.  Looks  nice  in  Burmese  kit, 
don't  she,  Franz  ? ' 

Well,  and  she  did.  She  seemed  just  like 
a  schoolgirl  with  her  hair  down  like  that. 
'  What 's  she  doing  there  ? '  I  asked. 

4  Oh,  I  forgot,'  says  he.  '  She  's  cooking 
breakfast  and  you  '11  have  to  help  to  eat  it, 
Franz.  Lucky  you  came,  eh  ? ' 

Then  Mrs.  Gallio  left  her  kitchen  and  came 
towards  us.  When  she  saw  me  she  stopped 
and  looked  confused. 

'Come  along,  Lesbia,'  said  Gallio.  'It's 
only  Franz  Hals,  you  know.  He 's  accustomed 
to  your  fancy  dress '  ;  and  Mrs.  Gallio  pulled 
herself  together  and  came  up.  '  It 's  becoming 


3 12  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

a  habit  of  Franz  to  find  people  who  have  been 
shipwrecked/  says  he.  '  You  should  be  careful, 
or  it  may  grow  on  you,'  says  he  to  me. 

'  I  hope,'  says  Mrs.  Gallio,  '  that  you  will 
let  it  grow  on  you,  Mr.  Hals,  and  that  when- 
ever we  are  shipwrecked  you  will  always  find 
us/ 

'  Anyhow,  it's  not  such  a  bad  habit  as  getting 
shipwrecked,'  says  I.  '  You  won't  keep  on 
doing  it,  will  you  ?  ' 

But  Gallio  only  laughed.  'That's  as  may 
be,'  says  he.  '  It  isn't  a  bad  habit  at  all.  It 's 
a  very  good  habit.  I  am  very  glad  I  was 
shipwrecked,  aren't  you,  Lesbia  ? ' 

And  to  my  surprise  she  looks  at  him  and 
laughs  and  blushes  and  nods.  Faith,  and  I 
stared  at  her,  then  I  looked  at  her,  then  I  looked 
away.  For  I  think  that  she  had  tears  in  her 
blue  eyes — and  Gallio  also.  I  wondered  what 
it  meant. 

Then  Gallio  says :  '  What  time  's  breakfast, 
Lesbia  ?  Franz  says  he  's  hungry.' 

'  Oh,'  she  says,  and  looks  at  me,  '  are  you 
wanting  breakfast  ? ' 

'Of  course  he  is,'  says  Gallio.  'Hunger 
and  thirst  are  chronic  with  Franz.  You  would 
not  grudge  him  food.' 

'  No-o,'  she  says,  '  but  there  isn't  much  for 
breakfast,  Mr.  Hals,  only  what  we  could  get 
in  the  village,  and  no  proper  pans  or  anything 
to  cook  with,  and  no  proper  cook.' 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  313 

4  That 's  herself,'  laughs  Gallic.  '  She  is  the 
improper  cook.' 

4  It  doesn't  matter  for  me  if  it  isn't  very  good, 
because  I  don't  eat  much,'  she  continues,  4  nor 
yet  for  him,  because  he's  bound  by  law  and 
custom  to  eat  what  his  wife  cooks,  and  like  it 
too,  but  you  ! ' 

4  Yes,  you're  a  free  man,'  says  Gallic. 

4 1  'm  not  going  away,'  I  says.  *  It  '11  be  a 
grand  breakfast  for  sure,  and  I  won't  want  law 
or  custom  to  make  me  like  it.  I  Ve  only  got 
cold  bully-beef  in  the  launch  and — do  you 
remember  it  on  the  frontier,  Gallic  ?  ' 

4  Lord  !  '  says  he,  turning  up  his  nose,  4  we 
lived  on  it  for  months.' 

4  Very  well,'  says  she  resignedly,  4  you  are 
warned,  and  as  it's  ready  I'll  tell  Po  Chon.' 

So  she  calls  to  Po  Chon,  and  presently  he 
brings  it  on  two  red-lacquered  trays,  and  a  jolly 
good  breakfast  it  was,  though  how  she  and  Po 
Chon  cooked  it  beats  me.  There  was  river- 
fish  roasted  on  sticks,  a  baked  partridge  and 
a  great  heap  of  white  rice  with  egg  curry  in  a 
bowl.  We  ate  it  all  with  our  fingers  because 
we  had  no  forks  or  spoons  and  only  one  knife, 
but  that  difficulty  didn't  stop  us.  We  finished 
everything  there  was. 

*  A  better  breakfast,'  says  I,  washing  my 
fingers  in  a  bowl  Po  Chon  brought  along,  '  I 
never  ate.' 

4  Honest  Injun  ?  '  she  asks,  looking  at  me. 


314  LOVE'S  LEGEND 

'  On  the  faith  of  an  Irishman,'  says  I.  c  It 
tasted  fine.' 

'  And  you  '11  promise  that  it  won't  make  you 
ill,'  says  she  anxiously,  '  eating  so  much  just  to 
please  me.' 

'  111  ? '  says  I,  while  Gallic  roars  with  laughter. 
'  111  ?  I  never  was  ill  in  all  my  life.' 

'Well,  then,'  says  she,  4  we'll  just  have  an 
hour's  rest  before  we  go  down  to  the  launch 
and  you  take  us  back  to  civilisation,  and  my 
husband  shall  tell  us  a  fairy  tale.' 

'  Franz  won't  care  for  fairy  tales,'  says  Gallic. 

4  Oh  yes,  he  will,'  says  she,  4  your  kind  of 
fairy  tale.  D'  you  know,'  says  she  to  me, 
'  that  my  husband  says  that  all  the  real  legends 
and  myths  and  fairy  tales  are  true.' 

'  Indade,'  says  I,  '  and  how  does  he  make 
that  out  ?  ' 

'  He  says  they  are  allegories  of  life,'  says 
she,  '  made  by  great  seers  before  the  world's 
eyes  were  blinded.  He  says  they  are  true, 
as  true  now  as  when  they  were  composed  ; 
that  all  the  tales  of  Zeus  and  the  other  gods 
are  true.' 

'  Indade,'  says  I.  '  Well,  maybe  he 's 
right.  Those  old  Greeks  were  no  fools, 
Mrs.  Gallic,  and  they  did  not  talk  without  a 
reason.  Has  he  found  the  reason  ? ' 

'  He  says  he  has,'  says  she.  '  He 's  told 
me  many,  and  all  of  them  are  true,  as  I  can 
see  when  he  explains  them.  Whenever  we 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  315 

get  to  a  difficulty,  he  tells  me  that  people 
thousands  of  years  ago  found  the  same  trouble 
and  also  found  the  answer.  Then  he  tells 
me  a  tale,  and  I  see  it 's  true.' 

'  Go  on,'  says  I. 

4  Which  do  you  want  ? '  asks  he. 

'You  know,'  she  answers,  and  she  looks 
at  him.  *  You  know.  Yesterday,  upon  the 
raft '  and  she  stops  and  smiles  at  him. 

'  Oh,  that  ? '  say  she. 

'Yes,  that.' 

'  Very  well,'  says  he.     '  Here  goes.' 

4  Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  marriage- 
feast  up  there  in  Olympus,  where  the  gods 
live,  and  all  the  gods  and  goddesses  were 
there  but  one.' 

'  Which  was  that  ? '  asks  she. 

'  Discord,'  says  he.  '  They  didn't  want 
her  at  the  feast,  so  they  didn't  invite  her. 
She  was  angry,  naturally,  and  determined  on 
revenge,  so  when  they  were  all  enjoying 
themselves  at  table  she  came  suddenly  in  and 
threw  a  golden  apple  on  to  the  board  and 
fled.  The  gods  picked  up  the  apple  and 
found  it  was  inscribed,  '  For  the  most  fair,'  so 
the  goddesses  Hera  and  Pallas  and  Aphrodite 
each  claimed  it.  Zeus  would  not  decide 
between  them,  but  referred  them  to  Paris, 
the  herdsman  of  Mount  Ida,  who  would  judge.' 

'  Who  was  Paris  and  why  to  him  ? '  she  asked. 

'  Paris   is   Franz,  and   me,  and   every  man 


3i6  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

that  ever  lived,  or  will  live,'  answered  Gallic, 
'  and  it  is  for  him  to  decide  what  is  fairest 
in  his  eyes.' 

'  Aha,'  thinks  I  to  myself,  'that 's  news  to  me 
that  I  am  Paris,'  and  I  listens  more  carefully. 

c  The  goddesses  came  to  Paris  one  by  one. 
"  Give  me  the  apple,"  Hera  commanded,  "for 
I  am  Power  and  Wealth,  which  shall  be 
yours,"  but  Paris  held  his  hand. 

'  "  Give  me  the  apple,"  Pallas  said,  "  for  I 
am  Wisdom,  and  you  shall  be  wise." 

'"  Give  me  the  apple,"  Aphrodite  whispered, 
"for  I  am  Love,  and  I  will  give  you  Love." 

Gallic  stopped  and  laughed. 

'Go  on,'  says  Mrs.  Gallic,  'which  did  he 
choose  ? ' 

'  Paris,'  said  Gallio  to  me,  '  what  did  we 
do  ?  Which  did  we  choose  ?  Which  will 
we  always  choose  ?  Do  we  want  as  our 
wives'  dowries  wealth  and  power,  do  we 
want  wisdom,  or  do  we  choose  love  ? '  He 
laughed,  and  Mrs.  Gallio  looked  at  me. 

'In  faith,'  says  I,  'Aphrodite's  my  girl. 
Wealth  and  power  and  wisdom  we  can  win 
ourselves  or  do  without,  but  only  a  wife  can 
give  us  love.' 

'You  hear  what  Paris  says,'  and  Gallio 
looked  at  her. 

She  thought  I  didn't  see,  but  I  saw  well 
enough  that  she  put  her  hand  on  his  and 
pressed  it.  I  pretended  to  be  looking  at  the 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  317 

two  little  naked  Cupids  who  were  always 
gazing  at  Mrs.  Gallio. 

'Besides,'  said  Gallio  in  a  reflective  tone, 
'  if  you  choose  Aphrodite,  the  others  may  be 
added  to  you.' 

'That 's  a  new  gloss,'  says  I,  ' and  I  'm  sure 
my  old  dominie  would  never  have  admitted  it.' 

'  Maybe,'  says  Gallio,  '  but  it 's  true/ 

'  It 's  also  true,'  said  I,  '  that  there  was  dis- 
cord when  Paris  chose  Love — Pallas  thought 
he  ought  to  have  chosen  her.  Faith,  and 
there's  trouble  still  about  that  same.'  But  the 
Gallios  only  looked  at  each  other  and  laughed. 

So  we  talked  a  little  more,  and  then  we 
went  down  to  my  launch. 

What  a  change,  thinks  I,  has  come  over 
these  since  I  met  them  first  a  fortnight  or  so 
ago.  Then  they  were  two  still,  each  ever 
conscious  of  each  other,  talking  at  each  other, 
showing  off,  studying  the  other,  rivals  in  a 
way.  Now  it  was  different.  They  had 
accepted  each  other  for  better  and  for  worse, 
had  become  one,  not  two.  They  were  still 
conscious  of  each  other,  but  only  as  the  right 
hand  is  of  the  left,  as  the  eyes  are  of  the 
mouth,  complementary  parts  in  one  whole. 

I  wonder,  was  it  the  shipwreck  that  did 
this  ?  Then  should  all  married  couples  be 
shipwrecked — and  some  drowned.  Gallio  has 
luck  even  in  his  accidents. 


3i8  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

I  took  them  up  to  their  raft,  and  found  it 
moored  against  the  bank  with  nothing  lost. 
But  it  was  much  shattered.  The  front  two 
joints  were  gone,  and  the  salon  was  broken. 
They  looked  at  it  in  dismay. 

c  We  can  never  mend  it,'  Gallic  said, c  and 
after  all  it 's  done  its  work.  What  do  you 
say,  my  dear  ?  we  '11  take  the  steamer  now.' 

'  We  couldn't  begin  again,'  she  said.  *  We  've 
had  our  voyage.' 

'  And  learnt  the  river  ? ' 

She  laughed.  c  And  learnt  the  river.  It 
nearly  drowned  us ' 

'  And  are  you  sorry  ? ' 

She  shook  her  head  and  smiled. 

So  I  took  them  to  the  station,  and  next 
day  they  left  us. 

'  Good-bye,'  they  said.     '  Good-bye.' 

4  Come  home  and  see  us,'  Gallio  said. 

'  Come  home  and  marry,'  said  Mrs.  Gallio. 

*  He  shan't,'  said  Gallio.  '  He  shall  be 
the  Laughing  Cavalier  still.  Marriage  is  a 
serious  matter.' 

'  What  then  ? '  she  asked. 

'  Though  we  be  virtuous  shall  there  be  no 
more  cakes  and  ale  ?  Yet  such  do  not  become 
the  married  man.  Good-bye.' 

The  steamer  moved  away,  and  I  waved  my 
hand  to  them.  Faith,  I  was  sorry  they  were 
gone.  But  marriage  is  too  serious  for  me. 
I  mind  me  there  is  a  legend  about  that  too. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 


'  That  marriage  only  lives  which  is  instinct  with  love. 
The  marriage  of  such  as  lack  love  is  but  a  rotten  carcass 
covered  with  skin.'  Kural. 


XXIII 

E  are  on  the  steamer  passing  to 
the  sea.  We  stand  quite  close 
together  leaning  upon  the  rail 
and  watching  the  low  banks 
go  swiftly  by.  It  is  our  river 
still,  and  this  is  near  the  end 
of  its  life  journey.  How  far  has  it  not  come 
since  first  we  saw  it  emerging  from  the  hills 
where  it  was  born,  two  streams  to  be  one  river. 
What  has  it  not  done  and  learnt  since  then  ? 

Its  waters  are  very  muddy  now,  thick  with 
dense  silt  that  it  has  picked  up  on  its  way  and 
brought  down  to  its  ending.  It  has  done  its 
work,  and  it  is  stained  and  tired.  Had  it  kept 
itself  as  clear  as  when  it  started,  it  had  not  done 
its  work.  What  matter  the  stains  ?  It  passes 
to  the  sea,  there  to  forget  itself  and  merge  in 
the  great  ocean.  Before  it  leaves  the  land  for 
the  great  deeps  it  will  drop  all  its  silt  and 
become  part  of  the  clear  blue  tides  that  ebb 
and  flow  throughout  the  world.  And  it  does 
not  hesitate,  it  does  not  fear.  It  runs  as 
swiftly  as  above. 


322  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

And  we,  what  have  we  learned  since  that 
morning  when  our  streams  were  joined  up  in 
the  hills  ?  We  have  learned  what  marriage  is 
not,  and  what  marriage  is.  Marriage  is  not  a 
ceremony  made  by  Church  nor  State  ;  it  lies 
in  no  empty  words,  it  is  no  tie,  no  matrimonial 
chain.  It  is  a  living,  growing,  changing 
state  wherein  two  opposites  are  blended  into 
one. 

There  are  two  loves  in  marriage.  The 
first  is  of  the  flesh  ;  it  is  that  call  of  nature 
desiring  intelligent  children  for  her  future 
which  shows  the  combination  that  will  give 
her  such.  This  love  is  in  our  instinct,  it  is 
despite  ourselves.  She  knows,  she  calls,  we 
can  obey  or  can  deny  ;  we  can't  create  nor 
change  nor  stifle.  It  comes  to  us  unbidden,  it 
is  the  cry  of  flint  to  steel. 

It  is  the  base  on  which  alone  the  other  love 
can  grow.  For  it  creates  in  the  beginning 
close  companionship,  which  is  a  necessity  for 
the  germination  of  the  other.  It  creates 
pleasure  in  one  another,  it  awakens  and  stimu- 
lates the  emotions  which  feed  the  other  love. 

The  second  love  is  of  the  spirit,  its  name  is 
understanding.  Out  of  the  first  conflict  of 
two  opposites  there  grows  a  mutual  respect 
and  knowledge.  Each  learns  that  the  other 
is  complementary  and  therefore  necessary. 
Neither  seeks  to  convince  the  other,  to  im- 
pose his  views  upon  the  other's  sight.  Two 


LOVE'S  LEGEND  323 

eyes  are  necessary.  Did  one  eye  renounce  its 
function  then  were  all  perspective  lost.  Each 
has  a  point  of  view  quite  different  from  the 
other,  and  each  is  true.  Were  either  to  re- 
nounce his  sex,  then  were  all  balance  gone. 
And  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  savour  wherewith 
can  it  be  salted  ?  A  man  who  sees  as  a  woman 
sees,  a  woman  who  sees  as  a  man,  what  are 
they  fit  for  ?  Not  for  love.  We  love  each 
other  because  we  are  man  and  woman. 

'  Man  gives  and  Woman  takes, 
Man  makes  and  Woman  saves, 
Man  sees  large  and  Woman  small, 
Man  makes  the  world,  Woman  the  home, 
Man  is  the  poet,  Woman  the  audience, 
Man  would  sacrifice  his  home  for  the  world's  sake, 
Woman  would  sacrifice  the  world  for  her  home's  sake, 
Man  joins  but  Woman  separates.' 

And  many  other  antagonisms  we  have  learned, 
yet  we  fight  no  more,  for  we  have  learned 
that  each  is  necessary  to  the  other.  We  are 
not  enemies  but  friends  ;  the  closer  that  we 
complement  each  other,  and  the  truer  each  is 
to  his  own  sex,  the  better  is  each  to  the  other. 

We  have  learned  this,  that  for  either  to 
renounce  his  sex  would  be  ruin  to  both,  for 
Man  and  Woman  are  not  two,  but  one,  and 
what  hurts  either  hurts  both. 

So  out  of  mutual  difference  grows  our  love. 

Every  day  we  learn  more  of  each  other 
by  effort  that  never  ceases.  Marriage  is  a 


324  LOVE'S   LEGEND 

perpetual  struggle  to  keep  the  balance  true, 
to  understand,  for  tout  comprendre  c'est  tout 
pardonner.  It  grows  for  ever,  for  what  does 
not  grow  is  dead,  and  dead  things  putrefy. 
And  we  have  made  a  promise  to  each  other 
and  ourselves. 

If  ever  true  marriage  should  cease,  if  ever 
we  should  find  that  we  are  drifting  apart,  not 
growing  together,  we  will  be  honest  and  con- 
fess it.  We  will  not  make  a  mockery  of  this 
sacred  thing.  If,  despite  all  our  efforts,  all 
our  spiritual  love  should  die,  then  we  will 
recognise  this  truth.  Marriage  will  have 
ceased  for  us,  and  we  care  not  for  mockeries 
and  chains. 

We  take  this  promise  in  all  sincerity  and 
truth,  and  laugh.  For  our  marriage  shall  not 
cease.  We  will  not  leave  our  happiness  to 
chance  nor  custom,  but  we  will  work  by  every 
thought  and  act  to  keep  it  true.  Those  who 
wish  for  peace  prepare  for  war.  Only  by 
keeping  always  strong  and  true  and  brave  can 
you  ward  off  war  and  the  disaster  that  it 
brings.  It  is  the  same  in  marriage  ;  only 
by  realising  that  disaster  is  bound  to  come 
unless  we  daily  strive  to  keep  it  off  can  it  be 
avoided. 

'  The  chains  of  matrimony ' — that  is  a 
Church  phrase. 

So  we  pass  on. 


LOVE'S   LEGEND  325 

The  banks  have  almost  vanished  now. 
Our  river  merges  fast  into  the  sea.  Its 
waters  now  are  less  and  less  muddy,  and  they 
toss  already  with  the  freedom  of  the  sea. 

Our  river  passes.  So  our  lives  will  pass 
sometime  into  that  sea  from  whence  we  came, 
to  which  we  all  return  again.  All  rivers  run 
into  the  sea,  yet  is  not  the  sea  full  ;  unto  the 
place  from  whence  the  rivers  come,  thither 
they  return  again. 

And  so  is  life,  for  ever,  ever,  evermore. 


Printed  by  T.  and  A.  CONSTABLE,  Printers  to  His  Majesty 
at  the  Edinburgh  University  Press 


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